Chertsey Regatta
Encyclopedia
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in England which takes place on Dumsey Meadow
Dumsey Meadow
Dumsey Meadow is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Surrey, England. It is the only piece of undeveloped water meadow remaining on the River Thames and is home to a variety of rare plants and insects....
near Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
The regatta was inaugurated in 1851 and is one of the oldest on the river. Early records are sparse but it is known that in two years the regatta was held upstream of Chertsey Bridge
Chertsey Bridge
Chertsey Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in England, connecting Chertsey to low-lying riverside meadows in Laleham, Surrey. It is situated 550 yards downstream from the M3 motorway bridge over the Thames and is close to Chertsey Lock on the reach above Shepperton Lock.The bridge is...
. Since the 1920's, with one or two exceptions, the regatta has been held annually alongside Dumsey Meadow, although the course itself has been from different points and in both directions over the years. The competition is for skiffing
Skiffing
Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. A Thames 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 for nearly 200 years...
and punting
Punt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
.
In 2004 the future of the regatta was in peril as Dumsey Meadow had been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. However after extensive discussions with local authorities and English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
, an agreement was reached allowing the regatta to continue. In acknowledgement of the support given by Spelthorne Borough Council who are responsible for Dumsey Meadow, the name was modified to the Chertsey in Shepperton Regatta. The future of the regatta was further secured by the purchase of an adjacent field for parking purposes in July 2008.