Gravesend Rowing Club History
1878 - 1990

Gravesend Rowing Club was founded in the summer of 1878 at the instigation of a Mr Simes who had moved to Gravesend to set up a corn and feed merchants business. He had been a member of a rowing club on the south coast and wanted to set up a club at Gravesend on similar lines. The club immediately attracted a membership containing some influential and prominent local citizens. One notable who lent his name to the club as its first patron was the Earl Of Darnley, father of the Hon. Ivor Bligh who took the first England cricket team to Australia and lost the first 'ashes'.

Being quite well off they ordered new boats to be built and the first recorded race was between 'Sunbeam', 'Neptune' and 'Mermaid' over a distance of 3 miles. The outcome of this race is not clear as it is recorded that someone fired a gun before the boats reached the finishing line and the leaders at that point stopped rowing. The first race against another club took place at the Town Regatta on the August Bank Holiday of the founding year. Their opponents were Curlew Rowing Club from Greenwich who proved too much for the fledgling oarsmen of Gravesend. At first the club rented a room in the Commercial Hotel which was suitably close to the river and it is recorded that the landlady 'provided soap and towels' for 4/6p per week. The club prospered and there were soon proposals to build a boatshed and later on a clubhouse on the foreshore nearby. This land belonged to the War Office and was part of the New Tavern Fort which had been rebuilt by General Gordon in 1871. Permission to build was duly given (the Commanding Officer was a club member) with the stipulation that the building must not exceed 11ft in height in order that the coastal defence guns in the fort would have a clear field of fire over the top. The wood and stucco and corrugated iron building apparently caused some adverse comments because of its squat appearance. The restriction was later lifted and in 1912 a lantern roof was erected on top of the main hall. The club thrived and today still occupies the original site on what is now the western end of the promenade. One interesting feature of the clubs early years was the change in the mid 1880's from river to coastal racing and after a few years back to river rowing. This sort of change is unique in the history of rowing and the reasons for it are not clear but may be connected with the difficulties of transporting racing boats in those days and the coastal experience of Mr Simes. The club has recently started to compete again occasionally at coastal regattas in borrowed boats. Situated as it is on the lower Thames, the nearest club to the sea and getting its full share of rough water there are some members who think a change back to coastal boats would be a good idea ! In its early years 2 members of the club were drowned when a pair overturned and to encourage members to develop their swimming ability, a silver cup was presented by a member to be a trophy for an annual swimming race. Today this Cooper Cup is still raced for and in addition there is now a similar prize for women. Swimming was obviously taken seriously as we have a tankard in the club marked "Cross River Swim", a feat which seems daunting to us today - the distance is half a mile.

The club joined the Amateur Rowing Association in 1913 but it had always been strictly amateur despite the considerable amount of professional sculling and rowing that went on in this part of the river. Nowadays of course the professional scene is non-existent and membership of amateur clubs is open to professionals though they must not compete against amateurs. A former Secretary of the club is one of these former professionals. Mr Eric Lupton won the Doggetts Coat and Badge in 1941 and was the last holder of the European title when he beat Eric Phelps in 1954. Both his sons won the Doggetts Coat and Badge as members of the club as were other winners Harold Smith (1934), Jack Anson (1946), James Clifford (1993), Chris Bullas (1994) and Michael Russell (1998).

In 1937 the local council purchased the former defence fort and turned it into a pleasure garden thus making the club council tenants. All rowing stopped during the 1914-1918 war when the clubhouse was taken over by the army and used as a guardhouse. In the last war the local council requisitioned the clubroom part of the building for use as a café, it was not until some years after 1945 that the club regained its clubhouse. At one time the club was home to 2 other clubs. The "Port of London Authority Rowing Club" and a National Dock Labour Board sponsored club known as the "Northfleet Portworkers R.C.". These two clubs faded out in the late 50's and early 60's respectively.

Over the years the club has continued with varying fortunes on the river, the wide rough waters of the lower Thames making it sometimes difficult for crews to get sufficient practice in light boats. Nevertheless Gravesend R.C. has managed to send the occasional crews to Henley Royal Regatta and the National Championships. The membership was now open to all and was now very much a 'family' club with several husbands and wives regularly rowing and sons and daughters coxing. The club boasted a fleet of 16 boats plus several private single sculls. Time had taken its toll on the original building and it was considered to be beyond economic repair and the committee was seeking ways and means for its renewal on more up to date lines which would properly cater for both sexes and be large enough to accommodate the certain increase in membership which rebuilding would brings and to generate sufficient income to be self supporting.

The regatta course had started at the old 'explosives noticeboard' at Denton just below the famous 'Ship And Lobster' public house, finishing at the Clubhouse, a distance of 9 furlongs which made it one of the longest on the Thames. In 1965 a jetty was built out into the river which meant that the best available course was now just over half a mile, but this had proved just as acceptable to racing crews as the old one. When this shorter course was adopted it was decided to re-title the regatta 'Gravesend Sprint Regatta'. This is not to be confused with Gravesend Town Regatta, the latter is rowed in traditional 4 oared waterman's skiffs and has its origins in the old Gravesend Regatta first recorded in 1698, possibly the oldest in England although it never seems to be acknowledged elsewhere. The Town Regatta committee possess the last 6 traditional waterman's skiffs in existence (heavy clinker built boats, 21 ft overall) and are responsible for putting on several events during the season, including a 'Long Ferry' race from Westminster to Gravesend which retraces the old ferry route which was granted exclusively to Gravesend Watermen by Royal Charter in 1401. it was this committee which staged the professional races for apprentice watermen and freemen which were such a feature of the pre-war regattas.

The prize for the apprentices race was a brand new fully equipped waterman's skiff designed to set the winner up in business. A notable winner of this boat in 1938 was the late Eric Phelps later to be British and European professional champion and noted coach. The decorated back boards (seat back rests) of the prizes adorn the walls of many pubs and clubs in the Gravesend Area.

Note : The founding date of 1878 makes Gravesend Rowing Club the oldest sporting club in Gravesend, 1 year older than the Bat And Ball Cricket Club.

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