A bit of history

The club was founded in 1873 as Bradford on Avon Rowing Club with canoeists joining the club in the early 1950s. In May 2023, the club became a registered charity and updated its name to Bradford on Avon Boat Club. The rowing and canoeing sections continue to race as Bradford on Avon Rowing Club and Bradford on Avon Canoe Club respectively. 

The boat club is one of the oldest sporting clubs in the area.  In the early 1900s veteran rowing was unheard of, so in 1911 a bowling green was laid at the boathouse location to provide an interest for the retired oarsmen.  Many sports clubs that were in existence prior to the World Wars inevitably closed during this period. It is probably thanks to the bowling membership that the rowing club continued to exist.

For a period between the 1960s-1980s the club owned the building that is now Timbrell’s Yard, and this acted as both a social club and gymnasium.  Eventually the cost of running such a building meant that the property was sold and all activity reverted to the current boat club location.

The club crest displays a Phoenix as well as the beautiful Barton bridge (adjacent to the clubhouse).  The Phoenix became the emblem for the club following a fire at the boathouse in 1962.  The boathouse and all equipment were destroyed, however within a year the building had been replaced.  The build cost was kept to a minimum leaving funds for the first club VIII to be purchased.  The VIII was named ‘Phoenix’.  The club has continued to have an VIII named Phoenix ever since.