Sonning Regatta
Encyclopedia
Sonning Regatta is the regatta of the village of Sonning
in Berkshire
and the hamlet of Sonning Eye
in Oxfordshire
, England
, on the north and south banks of the River Thames
.
. The last regatta was held in front of the then White Hart pub (now the Great House at Sonning
) next to Sonning Bridge
, on 2 September 1939.
The regatta was re-established in 2000 as part of the millennium
celebrations and is now held every two years. It takes place on the Oxfordshire bank of the River Thames above Sonning Lock
near the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake
. It is normally held on the Saturday of the bank holiday
weekend at the end of May. There are a number of categories of race for both adults and children including canoe
s, dinghies
, skiffs
, etc. A particular feature is the dongola racing
.
The date of the 2006 Sonning Regatta was Saturday 26 May; in 2008 it was on Saturday 24 May and in 2010 it was on Saturday 29 May.
Sonning
Sonning, occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire, a few miles east of Reading. The village is situated on the River Thames and was described by Jerome K...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and the hamlet of Sonning Eye
Sonning Eye
Sonning Eye is a hamlet on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, in the civil parish of Eye & Dunsden, at the very southernmost tip of Oxfordshire.- Overview :...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on the north and south banks of 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,...
.
History
The original Regatta was interrupted by World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The last regatta was held in front of the then White Hart pub (now the Great House at Sonning
Great House at Sonning
The Great House at Sonning is a hotel and restaurant with a riverside garden on the River Thames near Sonning Bridge at Sonning, Berkshire, England...
) next to Sonning Bridge
Sonning Bridge
Sonning Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames at Sonning, Berkshire. It links Sonning with Sonning Eye and crosses the Thames on the reach above Shiplake Lock, just short of Sonning Lock. It is a brick arch bridge completed in 1775, to replace an earlier wooden bridge...
, on 2 September 1939.
The regatta was re-established in 2000 as part of the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
celebrations and is now held every two years. It takes place on the Oxfordshire bank of the River Thames above Sonning Lock
Sonning Lock
Sonning Lock is a lock and associated weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire, England. The first lock was built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1773 and it has been rebuilt three times since then....
near the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake
Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake
The Redgrave-Pinsent Rowing Lake is a rowing lake in the United Kingdom, named after the Olympic rowers Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent. The lake and its boathouse are specifically designed for training use, and will provide training, medical, and scientific facities for the GB rowing...
. It is normally held on the Saturday of the bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
weekend at the end of May. There are a number of categories of race for both adults and children including canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s, dinghies
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
, skiffs
Thames skiff
A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of Skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.-Construction of a skiff:...
, etc. A particular feature is the 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...
.
The date of the 2006 Sonning Regatta was Saturday 26 May; in 2008 it was on Saturday 24 May and in 2010 it was on Saturday 29 May.
See also
- Henley Royal RegattaHenley Royal RegattaHenley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
- Reading Town RegattaReading Town RegattaReading Town Regatta is Reading's rowing regatta. It takes place at the town of Reading in Berkshire on the River Thames in southern England, near the Thames Valley Park business park on the south side of the river. A more local Thames Valley Park Regatta takes place at the same location.The...
- Wargrave & Shiplake RegattaWargrave & Shiplake RegattaThe Wargrave & Shiplake Regatta is a regatta on the River Thames in England. It is the local regatta of the villages of Wargrave in Berkshire and Shiplake in Oxfordshire. Some of the boats used are of a traditional clinker-built style, others are fibre-glass....
- Sonning WorksSonning WorksThe Sonning Works are a gravel works owned by Lafarge, located near Sonning Eye, Oxfordshire, England.- Overview :The gravel works is positioned on the south side of the B478 Playhatch Road between Playhatch to the west and Sonning Eye on the River Thames to the east...
External links
- Sonning Jubilee Regatta including photographs, 1 June 2002
- Sonning Regatta 2004 photographs, 29 May 2004
- Sonning Regatta 2006 photographs and additional photographs, 26 May 2006