Interested in Joining?

Upton Rowing Club is a lively Club with over 16 miles of clear water between locks and no obstructions. The river is one of the most beautiful rowing resources in the country with kingfishers, cormorants and herons gracing the riverside.

We welcome new-comers in all our rowing sections in the Club from junior to veteran, from racing in fine-boats to recreational rowing (in more stable boats). We train absolute beginners in our April adult intake and in our summer junior camp. We also run an April 'Return-to-Row' course for rusty rowers with even ex-Henley standard rowers taking advantage of this training.

Upton is a very sociable Club and this small and proud town provides us with many fine pubs including the King's Head on the river-side where we can re-hydrate after a hard row. We have a growing band of coaches and aim to provide coaching to all members who want it, not just competitive crews. New full members are offered a Support Contact in the Club as part of our innovative 'Mentoring Scheme'.

Come and find us at Club Rowing - 10:00 on every Sunday morning all year around. In the summer we also have Club rowing on Wednesday evenings (starting either at 6pm or 6.30pm, in the summer). Learn-2-Row (for starters) and Return-2-Row (for people who have started rowing before for not more than one Learn-2-Row course) go out, as a minimum on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Or contact us to arrange a convenient time to talk or meet.

Find us at the Marina, Upton-u-Severn. Our boathouse is the far side of the road barrier on the site (big green building) and we boat from the slipway in the marina.

email contacts: membership @ uptonrc.org.uk     and   chairman @  uptonrc.org.uk

Although the current Club is quite young, having been started in 1995, there appears to have been a rowing history at Upton going a long way back:

"A rowing match took place. between eight gentlemen, including a coxswain, of the Gloucester Union Club, and a similar number of the Upton Rowing Club. The start took place about four o'clock, from near the brick-works at Apperley; the distance was four miles against the stream, the winning point being the Mythe Bridge. The water was very low, which was of course a considerable impediment to the competitors, and particularly to those who were not well acquainted with the shoals, which are not unfrequent in this part of the Severn. The Gloucester Club won the toss for choice of sides, and taking the lead, gradually drew a-head of their opponents, who, nothing daunted, pursued the "even tenour of their way;" till the fore-most boat got fast aground upon the weir wall near the Upper Lode. The crew of the Upton boat made great efforts to pass in advance; but one of the Gloucester men, jumping into the river, got their boat off, the Upton being then only about a boat's length astern. A great struggle for the lead now took place, when one of the Upton men losing an oar, it became evident their chance was gone. The Union came in about eight boat's length a-head of their opponents, having been forty-five minutes in performing the distance. The parties afterwards adjourned to the Lower Lode Inn where a large number of amateurs, including the Tewkesbury, Worcester, and Gloucester Junior Clubs, sat, down with them to dinner, and the evening passed off with great good humour."

August 1835 edition, Berrow's Worcester Journal,