Other Sport / rowing
Give it a row
It is a misty Monday morning on Hanover Place. The Coffee Club hut is just opening for the day and all is quiet.
But, hidden behind a vast corrugated metal door, one of the sheds opposite is a hive of activity.
A steady ‘whoosh’ of the rowing machines, or ergs, punctuates the air as people get stuck into a pre-work training session.
is needed now More than ever
This is the home of the City of Bristol Rowing Club, which first started life as a dockers’ club in 1952, and whose members will be a familiar sight out on the water in all seasons.
It is also a club that punches above its weight, as an entirely volunteer-run operation, representing the city on the national stage.
In 2023, the club saw the first ever women’s crew from Bristol qualify for the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta, a moment elite rower Jenny Johnson says was her proudest moment.
“It was an incredible experience to race there alongside our men’s squad for the first time, and a huge achievement for our volunteer-run club, with all of us training and competing alongside full time jobs (or even full time parenting for one of our crew, superwoman),” says Jenny, who trains most days of the week, either in the gym or on the water.
In 2023, City of Bristol Rowing Club saw the first ever women’s crew from Bristol qualify for the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta – photo: Ben Rodford
Club captain Cate Lough learnt to row while at university in Durham and joined the club when she moved to Bristol in 2020. Speaking about the draw of the sport, she says: “Once you start rowing, because you see people so much with the intensity of the training and the frequency, they become very close friends.
“It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions going through a rowing season so you see people on these extreme highs and extreme lows. I think that really bonds people.”
Cate adds: “When you’ve got a crew and everybody’s just completely in sync. That feeling when the boat just runs is highly addictive.”
Club captain Cate Lough says rowing is a sport that really bonds people together – photo: Ellie Pipe
Traditionally seen as a rather elitist sport, most associated with Oxford, Eton and Cambridge, rowing is growing in popularity and City of Bristol Rowing Club has a huge waiting list of people waiting to join.
Cate says working out how to make the sport accessible for all are among her top priorities. The club runs programmes for junior and adult rowers to learn to row.
Its Junior Bursary scheme, which was shortlisted for the British Rowing Awards 2024, aims to further widen access to the sport and provides fully-funded places for children on Pupil Premium or near that threshold, as advised by local schools.
City of Bristol Rowing Club’s Junior Bursary scheme aims to widen access to the sport – photo: City of Bristol Rowing Club
The growing interest in learning to row is something Bristol Ariel Rowing Club is also meeting head on.
Founded in 1870, the club is named after a barge moored near Bristol Bridge, where it was first based.
A distinctive club house in St Anne’s overlooking Conham River Park has been the club’s HQ since 1990 and members can often be seen training on the grassy banks or gliding over the water on their sleek, long vessels.
Club president Geoff Lester has been involved with the Bristol Ariel Rowing for almost 50 years and is passionate about providing opportunities for people from all walks of life to enjoy the benefits of rowing.
Like many, Geoff first learned to row at university and joined the club when he moved to Bristol in 1975.
“We, as rowers, know it’s a really great sport, particularly because it’s out in the open and out on the water. So over recent years we have been participating in the general thrust to make rowing more accessible.”
One way in which the club is widening participation is with the launch of its indoor rowing programme.
“We are getting something like 300 to 400 people on our list every year who want to learn to row,” says Geoff. “We have nothing like the capacity to teach them in the traditional way, so we look at alternatives, part of which is static rowing machines, or indoor rowing – think spin on a rowing machine.”
Bristol Ariel Rowing Club is also pioneering rowing stand up paddleboards (SUPs), which have the advantage of being sturdy and difficult to capsize so perfect for newcomers or those who are nervous of getting out on the water.
“The club ethos is very much about being accessible and wanting people to enjoy their activity through rowing so we have a strong sense of community and sense of our history,” says Geoff.
“We go out of our way to try to make everybody welcome and make sure they have a good experience on the water to the best of their ability.”
Rowers love the health and wellbeing benefits that come with going out on the water – photo: Laura Hargraves
“It’s about bringing the benefits of the exercise you get from rowing to more people,” says club member Laura Hargraves, adding that the sense of community is the thing that stands out for her about the sport.
Main photo: Aaron Sims
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