A Brief History of the Regatta

There had been throughout the 1840’s signs of interest in Bedford rowing, and races had been arranged, but the first “official” Bedford Regatta took place on Thursday, 25th August, 1853, and notwithstanding the bad weather a good crowd lined the banks. The regatta comprised eight events, one of them being a four oared race and the others for pairs, sculls and rhandans (a pair of oars and a pair of sculls). The course for the sculling and pair-oared aces was from Layton’s Boathouse at the corner of Newnham Road, round the island which was in midstream some twenty yards below the Hitchin Railway Bridge, and back. (The island disappeared many years ago.). The other races were rowed from “Paradise” (Cauldwell House) to Laytons’ Boathouse. From a contemporary account of the first Regatta it appears that the winner of the sculling event was disqualified on the ground that he “caught hold of the boats”, and the race was awarded to his opponent.

There had been throughout the 1840’s signs of interest in Bedford rowing, and races had been arranged, but the first “official” Bedford Regatta took place on Thursday, 25th August, 1853, and not withstanding the bad weather a good crowd lined the banks. The regatta comprised eight events, one of them being a four oared race and the others for pairs, sculls and rhandans (a pair of oars and a pair of sculls). The course for the sculling and pair-oared aces was from Layton’s Boathouse at the corner of Newnham Road, round the island which was in midstream some twenty yards below the Hitchin Railway Bridge, and back. (The island, disappeared many years ago.). The other races were rowed from “Paradise” (Cauldwell House) to Laytons’ Boathouse. From a contemporary account of the first Regatta it appears that the winner of the sculling event was disqualified on the ground that he “caught hold of the boats”, and the race was awarded to his opponent.

Bedford made a gala day of this first Regatta. In Kingston’s Close (the meadow opposite Star Club) a big marquee was under management of Mr. Foster of the “Hop Pole” in Caudwell Street, and here many hundreds of people “dropped in” between races to refresh themselves. On the wharf opposite, the ladies sat down to tea; after which, the fiddles struck up and dancing went on far into the night. Earlier in the day St. Paul’s bells rang out, and the Bedford Brass Band, played a lively march along the High Street. During the afternoon the band occupied a barge on the river where “its enlivening music proved an agreeable diversion from the dullness of the proceedings”!

At nine o’clock the crews dined heartily at the “Rose Inn”; and on the following night the performances at the Bedford Theatre were under the patronage of the Regatta Committee.

The first eight Regattas seem to have been purely local affairs in which the prizes were awarded in money, but in 1860 open races for fours, pairs and sculls were incorporated in the programme, and thereafter silver cups of declared values were substituted for the money awards.

The Regatta of 1913, was a