Goring Gap Boat Club (GGBC) is one of the largest recreational rowing clubs in the Thames Valley based at Lower Basildon. We built and moved to our new boathouse in 2018 and although it is in full use there is plenty more to do. You can see our journey here. Membership is open to all, from all ages gaining their first rowing experience, those returning to rowing after years away, to veterans with a lifetime on the river.
The club’s aims are simple: “to make it possible for members to enjoy unpowered boating”. To that end we have regular sessions throughout the week and weekends. Experienced rowers can be assessed and then take out boats outside of these session times throughout the year.
Beginners are assured of a warm welcome, and a relaxed and safe introduction to the sport through our Learn 2 Row courses.
If you have previous experience but are a bit rusty then you could just join and have a few gentle outings to get you back in the swing of it.
We are a club run by and for its members on a volunteer basis. All members are expected to join in with at least some Club activities – such as maintenance, session management, fundraising, coaching beginners, launch driving, management committee.
A number of rowers enjoy a bit of competition at Explore Events in the Thames Valley.
We also have a small fleet of fun boats for members to enjoy alone or with their family and friends.
Over the years it’s estimated that 1700 rowers have taken to the water under the guidance of GGBC.
It’s not just about river rowing. We are a recreational club and there are opportunities to enjoy other activities on tour with GGBC such as walking in The Lake District and Wales. We have also been Gig rowing in Swanage and sea sculling at Studland. There is plenty of social activity with BBQ’s and drinks after rowing in the Summer and an annual Christmas party.
If you want to find out more get in touch. You are assured of a warm welcome.
GGBC is a community and amateur sports club (CASC) and limited by guarantee.
The Origins Of The Club
In 1988 John Calvert bought a single scull from Eton College. This prompted a group of 8 friends to follow suit and buy sculls for themselves. This was the informal start of the boat club with the Catherine Wheel pub as headquarters. The Catherine Wheel teams won the Wallingford Pub Regatta from 1991 to 1994 (the Blades received as prizes are displayed on the wall at the Catherine Wheel to this day). In 1991 the new rowing enthusiasts and their friends decided to revive the Goring and Streatley Regatta, last held in 1913. Following the very successful revival in 1992 the Goring Gap Boat Club was formed with the aim of encouraging local people to use the river in unpowered boats.
The Regatta has now grown into one of the major events in the area and the income has allowed the Boat Club to buy a range of boats including fours, sculls and punts. The club has always attached great importance to historical links with the area, the river and associated activities. Members have obtained a number of the original cups and photographs of the early regattas, which are displayed at each Regatta.
In the early days the club was based at Thames Bank in Goring (then a Nursing Home) and continued to grow and thrive as an active boating club, and social meeting ground. Unfortunately, Thames Bank was redeveloped and our days at our first home were numbered. The Swan Hotel at Streatley then came to our aid. Attempts at obtaining planning permission for a permanent home there failed. It was at this stage that The Oratory School offered us a temporary home at Hardwick, near Whitchurch, where we shared their boathouse for a few years before constructing our temporary home on the nearby site with the agreement of Hardwick estate.
We have remained at the temporary site for several years but finally in November 2017 building work began on the long awaited permanent home in Lower Basildon. In January 2019 we relocated to our new permanent site where a four bay boathouse has been constructed. The boathouse is still a work in progress. There is a now a mezzanine floor with changing rooms, kitchen and training room. We are still in the process of sourcing clean water and reliable year round power to the boathouse. We currently use rain water and in case of no rain, river water to flush toilets outside the boathouse and wash boats. Drinking water is brought in.
The Club became GGBC Ltd in 2018 for the purpose of limiting the liability of the Club management committee and trustees. All Club members are guarantors of GGBC Ltd and the “guarantee” is limited to £1 in the event that the company is wound up and cannot pay its bills.
The Goring and Streatley Regatta
For many years, the biennial Goring and Streatley Regatta was a highlight of the club calendar. Its aim was to introduce people to the joys of rowing and friendly competition, while bringing the wider community together. The event depended entirely on volunteers, with one team managing the rowing on the water (the wet side) and another organising everything on land (the dry side). More recently, the club appealed to the local community for volunteers to help take on responsibility for the dry-side activities.
In 2026, a volunteer came forward to coordinate the dry side, and we agreed to work towards holding the next regatta in 2027. The event has traditionally taken place on farmland alongside the river, just upstream of Cleeve Lock, with the landowner’s permission.
Unfortunately, when we approached the landowner to seek permission for the 2027 event, we learned that, despite their support for the regatta, their insurers had advised against allowing a third party to use the land. The potential liability in the event of an accident was simply too great.
This is particularly disappointing given the regatta’s excellent safety record. GGBC has extensive safety plans, which are reviewed by the council’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), and the club would have insurance cover against third-party claims. However, the landowner could also face legal action and liability in the event of an accident, despite the precautions taken by the club.
Looking ahead, the increasing legal and administrative demands associated with medium- and large-scale public events, including changes such as Martyn’s Law, may also make the regatta increasingly difficult and costly to organise. Together, these factors would place an unsustainable burden on those responsible for running the event.
It is therefore with great regret that we must accept that the Goring and Streatley Regatta, in its traditional form as a village-wide event, will no longer take place. We recognise what a valued part of village life it has been, and are grateful to everyone who has given their time and energy to make it possible over the years.
A much smaller, rowing-focused event at the boat club may still be possible. This idea is at an early stage of planning, and we hope to share more news if it progresses.