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The Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames in England. [1] It is the local regatta of the villages of Wargrave in Berkshire and Shiplake in Oxfordshire. Some of the boats used are of a traditional clinker-built style, others are fibre-glass.
The regatta is believed to have been officially founded in 1867, [2] although regatta activity also took place here in the 1850s. It takes place annually on the Oxfordshire bank of the river, on the reach above Marsh Lock.
The Berkshire Chronicle of 31 August 1867 tells us that a Wargrave Regatta took place the previous Wednesday, August 28, on a course from Bolney Island to Wargrave Ferry, under the auspices of Wargrave Yacht Club. However, the Parish Magazine mentions that this followed a gap of eleven years, suggesting that a local regatta had been held at some time in the 1850s; and a silver rudder engraved Wargrave Regatta 1856 was recently found. However no official records are known to establish the date of the first regatta exactly. 1867 is taken as the 'official' date of birth.
The regatta attracts over 1,000 competitors taking part in around 400 races, making it is the second largest Thames regatta after the Henley Royal Regatta. [2] It is held over two days at the beginning of August. The course is about 400 yards (370 m) long, with the start close to Shiplake Railway Bridge. [3] Races go downstream.
There are races for:
These are split into categories:
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Reading, 7 miles (11 km) west of Maidenhead, 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Oxford and 37 miles (60 km) west of London, near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The population at the 2021 Census was 12,186.
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the three other regattas rowed over approximately the same course, Henley Women's Regatta, Henley Masters Regatta, and Henley Town and Visitors' Regatta, each of which is an entirely separate event.
Marsh Lock is a lock and weir situated on the River Thames in England, about 1 mile upstream of Henley Bridge in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The lock is close to the Berkshire bank, but accessed from the Oxfordshire side via two long walkways, the downstream one being near Mill Meadows. The first pound lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773.
Shiplake consists of three settlements: Shiplake, Shiplake Cross and Lower Shiplake. Together these villages form a civil parish situated beside the River Thames 2 miles (3 km) south of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The river forms the parish boundary to the east and south, and also the county boundary between Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The villages have two discrete centres separated by agricultural land. The 2011 Census records the parish population as 1,954 and containing 679 homes. The A4155 main road linking Henley with Reading, Berkshire passes through the parish.
Wargrave is a historic village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The village is primarily on the River Thames but also along the confluence of the River Loddon and lies on the border with southern Oxfordshire. The village has many old listed buildings, two marinas with chandlery services for boats, a boating club and rises steeply to the northeast in the direction of Bowsey Hill, with higher parts of the village generally known as Upper Wargrave. In Upper Wargrave is a Recreation Ground with a cricket club, bowls club, football pitches and tennis club.
The River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of Henley-on-Thames.
Kingston Rowing Club (KRC) is a rowing club in England founded in 1858 and a member club of British Rowing.
The Henley branch line is a branch railway line between Twyford in Berkshire and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1857. Train services are provided by the present day Great Western Railway train operating company.
Sonning Regatta is the regatta of the village of Sonning in Berkshire and the hamlet of Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire, England, on the north and south banks of the River Thames. It is a part of the Sonning Festival.
Dongola racing is a popular event in traditional local regattas, especially on the River Thames in southern England and was first competed at Maidenhead in 1886. Competitors use wide punts and a team of people with single-bladed paddles, facing forwards and kneeling, normally with one leg up and one leg down. The person at the rear is responsible for the steering with their paddle.
Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. The skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in England and other countries since the 19th century. Sculling is the act of propelling the boat with a pair of oars, as opposed to rowing which requires both hands on a single oar.
Shiplake Railway Bridge carries the Henley Branch Line to Henley-on-Thames, England across the River Thames, connecting Shiplake in Oxfordshire with Wargrave in Berkshire. It crosses the river just downstream of Shiplake Lock on the reach above Marsh Lock.
The Thames is one of the main rowing rivers in Europe. Several annual competitions are held along its course, including the Henley Royal Regatta, The Boat Race and other long-distance events, called Head of the River races (Heads).
The Thames Punting Club (TPC) is the governing body in England for the sport of punt racing.
The Skiff Championships Regatta is the premier skiff racing regatta on the River Thames in England. It is held annually at Henley on the Sunday of August Bank Holiday weekend.
Dittons Skiff and Punting Club (DSPC or Dittons) is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based on the River Thames with a club and boat house at Thames Ditton on the reach above Teddington Lock. As well as taking part in regular skiff and punt racing competitions, crews from the club have established several rowing world records.
Wallingford Regatta is a rowing regatta which takes place on Dorney Lake, Buckinghamshire near Eton next to the River Thames in southern England. It attracts crews from schools, clubs and universities from around the United Kingdom.
Sidney Charles Rand was an English rower who competed for Great Britain at the 1956 Summer Olympics and at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He won the Wingfield Sculls in 1954 and the Double Sculls Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1956.
Hennerton Backwater is a narrow backwater of the River Thames on the reach above Marsh Lock near the villages of Shiplake, Oxfordshire and Wargrave, Berkshire.
St Edward's School Boat Club is a rowing club on the River Thames based at St Edwards School Boathouse on Godstow Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire. It is the rowing club belonging to St Edward's School, Oxford.
The course for the skiff races was from the Shiplake Railway Bridge to a point just above the ferry at Wargrave