Hampton Court and Dittons 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 at Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
, 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...
beside Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
.
The regatta was inaugurated in 1887, being described as an "Aquatic Sports and Venetian Fete", although Alfred Sisley
Alfred Sisley
Alfred Sisley was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life, in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedication to painting landscape en plein air...
's painting illustrates a regatta in existence some thirteen years earlier at the same location. Pleasure boating on the River Thames between Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
and Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock
Molesey Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England at East Molesey, Surrey. It is near Hampton Court Palace to the west of London.The lock was built by the City of London Corporation in 1815 and is the second longest on the river at over 268 ft . Beside the lock there are rollers for the...
had become extremely popular, and owners of self propelled craft were interested in more sporting activity than just recreational boating, and competitors came from local sports clubs. The regatta was from the start under the royal patronage of Princess Frederica of Hanover
Princess Frederica of Hanover
Princess Frederica of Hanover, was a member of the House of Hanover. After her marriage, she lived mostly in England, where she was a prominent member of Society.-Early life:...
who was then residing at Hampton Court Palace. The start point, then as now, was from the Hampton Court Palace Water Gallery, but finished then at the lower end of Boyle Farm Island
Thames Ditton Island
There are three Islands in the River Thames near Thames Ditton, Surrey, on the reach above Teddington Lock. Thames Ditton Island, the largest of the three, is 350 yards long and has 47 houses and a population of around 100. The second largest, Boyle Farm Island, has a single house...
.
The regatta has remained a traditional boat event, being a competition 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...
and is run from Dittons Skiff and Punting Club
Dittons Skiff and Punting Club
Dittons Skiff and Punting Club or Dittons is an English skiff and punting club, which was founded in 1923. It is based on the River Thames with a club and boat house at Thames Ditton on the reach above Teddington Lock...
at Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
in July. Skiffing is run under the rules of the Skiff Racing Association
Skiff Racing Association
The Skiff Racing Association is the governing body in the United Kingdom for the sport of skiff racing. The SRA is affiliated to British Rowing...
and the course goes downstream from Hampton Court Palace Water Gallery to the clubhouse at Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
. Punting is run under the rules of the Thames Punting Club
Thames Punting Club
The Thames Punting Club is the governing body in England for the sport of punt racing.-History and constitution:Punting as a means of water travel has a long history in the United Kingdom and is now practiced recreationally on a number of rivers, being most obviously associated with Oxford and...
and the course is along the Hampton Court side on the opposite bank of the river from the clubhouse. Dongola racing
Dongola racing
Dongola racing is a popular event in traditional local regattas, especially on the River Thames in southern England and was first competed at Maidenhead in 1886. Competitors use wide punts and a team of people with single-bladed paddles, facing forwards and kneeling, normally with one leg up and...
and dinghy racing for juniors is also included in the regatta.
The regatta should not be confused with Thames Ditton Regatta
Thames Ditton Regatta
Thames Ditton Regatta is a rowing regatta, on the River Thames in England which takes place at Thames Ditton, Surrey opposite Hampton Court Palace....
which is a rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
regatta held at approximately the same location in May.
See also
- Rowing on the River ThamesRowing on the River ThamesThe River Thames is one of the main rowing areas in England, with activity taking place on the Tideway and on the 45 separate lock reaches on the non tidal section. The river hosts two major rowing events The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta, and a large number of other regattas and long distance...