Fry's Island is an island in the River Thames in Reading in the English county of Berkshire. Fry's Island is sometimes known by the alternative name of De Montfort Island. Length 346 km Elevation of the source 110 m Average discharge entering Oxford: 17. ... St Marys Church and market Reading is a town and unitary authority in Berkshire in England. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... For other places named Berkshire, see: Berkshire (disambiguation) Berkshire (pronounced Barkshe(e)r; sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a county in the south of England, to the west of London and also bordering on Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire. ...

History

Fry's Island is famous as the location of the duel between Robert de Montfort and Henry of Essex, the standard bearer to King Henry II. Whilst the court was in residence at Reading Abbey in 1163, Robert had accused Henry of Essex of cowardice and treason, because he dropped the standard and called out the King was dead during a previous battle with the Welsh, charges Henry of Essex denied. King Henry decreed that this dispute must be resolved in a trial by combat, to be undertaken on what is now Fry's Island. At the height of the combat, Henry of Essex fell wounded and, in the belief he was dead, the King ordered the monks to carry him away and bury him. However he was not dead, and the monks nursed him back to health. Because he had lost the combat he was adjudged guilty and stripped of his lands; however he was permitted to become a monk at the abbey where he remained for the rest of his life. Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 5, 1133 – July 6, 1189), ruled as Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland... Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in Reading, Berkshire, founded by Henry I in 1121 for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors and successors. Contents // Categories: Buildings... Events Owain Gwynedd is recognized as ruler of Wales. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English(100%), Welsh(20. ...

Location

Fry's Island is a natural island located in the middle of the Thames where it flows near the centre of Reading. The only access to the island is by boat. It is home to a private house, two boatyards and the Island Bohemian Club, perhaps the only bowling club in the world that runs its own ferry service. Men playing bowls Bowls (or Lawn Bowls) is a precision sport where the goal is to roll slightly radially asymmetrical balls (called bowls) closer to a smaller white ball (the jack) than ones opponent is able to do. ...

Grid reference SU714743 (http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/oscoor_a.htm?SU714743_region:GB_scale:25000) The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ...

See also

• Islands in the River Thames

This article lists the islands in the River Thames, England. ...

Sources

• David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History article on Trial by combat at Reading (http://www.berkshirehistory.com/articles/reading_trial.html), retrieved December 1, 2004.