Oxford is an Island

Circumnavigation of Oxford is only possible in a manually propelled boat, since motor-boats are not allowed on the Cherwell from its junction with the Isis at the bottom of Christ Church Meadow to its junction with the Oxford-Birmingham canal near Thrupp.

There is a special word for an island within the Thames, which is "eyot", pronounced "ay-ott". This survives in the name Aston's Eyot, part of The Kidneys nature reserve off Meadow Lane. It features in novels by JRR Tolkien, Dickens, and Terry Pratchett, and further afield is spelt "ait". Both spellings come from Old English "ig" (an island) and French diminutive "-ot".