borough (district), administrative county of Surrey, historic county of Middlesex, England, bounded on the south and west by the River Thames and on the north and east by Greater London. It includes Staines (the principal settlement and district headquarters), Ashford, Shepperton, Sunbury, and the southern edge of London's Heathrow Airport. It is crossed by the M3 and M25 superhighways and other major roads out of London. A remarkable feature of the district is the large fraction of its area covered by water. There is a series of large reservoirs, including a vast one at Littleton, fed by the Thames and designed to supply the needs of London. Much of the remainder of the district consists of residential areas. Area 22 square miles (56 square km). Pop. (2001) 90,414.