Truss’s Island

About

Truss's Island is a small riverside park with a picnic area and public slipway to the River Thames.

It is a good place to see large numbers of swans, geese and other birds. The Island, 100 metres long, is on the west bank of the river and is named after Charles Truss who worked for the City of London as Clerk of Works to the Worshipful Committee of Navigation. He was appointed in 1774 with the task of improving navigation on the river and improved the locks, banks and dredging of the River Thames between London and Staines. This he did for 36 years until 1810 when he was 82 years old and he was then awarded a pension of £200 a year by the City.

Owned by Runnymede Borough Council it underwent a major makeover in the early 1990s and now has free fishing platforms suitable for the disabled and able-bodied anglers, and pathways leading to a pleasant picnic area. There is a large presence of wildfowl. Parking is available on site, but not permitted between sunset and sunrise.

The Thames Path runs on the opposite bank here, however you can take a path from Penton Hook Lock and Penton Hook Island to Temple Gardens and Chertsey Lane.

Truss's Island car park is a free car park with a maximum permitted stay of 17 hours.

It has a public slipway, but it is difficult to launch boats off of trailers, unless small. Mooring is allowed here

Paddle from here to Staines, 3 miles.