Nestled on the scenic banks of the River Dee since 1883, The King’s School Chester Rowing Club (KSRC) boasts one of the most picturesque rowing locations in the UK.
Surrounded by the lush greenery that lines the river, the clubhouse serves as a hub for the rowers, offering state-of-the-art facilities along with an enviable fleet. With the Dee as its backdrop, the club’s impressive facilities attract many top-tier crews to do their training camps up north. Notably, St Edward’s often do their pre-Henley camp on the Dee boating out of the KSRC boathouse. The St Edward’s athletes often refer to the Dee as “the holy water”, so we take all credit for their recent Henley win!
KSRC welcomes boys and girls alike and does not offer any scholarships for rowing, meaning every athlete that comes through the club is nurtured and coached with the same passion and commitment.
And the club is sizeable, too. In 2023, King’s had the largest entry at the National Schools Regatta (NSR), fielding a whopping 138 athletes over the weekend.
King’s is one of the oldest school boat clubs in the country. The first mention of an official school rowing club was in 1883, although it is believed there had been rowing unofficially before this. In 1877, a school rule was brought in which said: “Boating is only allowed when boys are (1) actually accompanied by their parents; or (2) have passed the test of swimming, in the presence of a master, 100yds. In the river, or once around the floating baths clad in trousers and boots or shoes at the least.”
Despite a less-than-impressive start, with no rowing victories in the first two years of its existence, the club began its path to local dominance in 1885, with victory at Chester Regatta.
In 1955, the first King’s crew raced at Henley Royal Regatta in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. In a dramatic first-round race, the club stormed to victory after the opposition six-seat caught an ejector crab a stroke before the finish.
King’s has a strong history of producing high-level athletes, but it also consistently produces impressive coxes. In the 21st century, almost every King’s first eight cox has gone on to race internationally, whether that be at the Home International Regatta (HIRR), world championships, or even the Olympics.
In recent years, KSRC has continued to thrive on the national stage, with the 2022 boys eight reaching the Friday racing at Henley, marking a notable return to form for the club. This was followed up with an impressive win on the Tuesday in 2024, losing out to a strong Radley crew on the Wednesday. Further, they have placed well at major races like National Schools’ Regatta and Wallingford Regatta.
King’s girls qualified for the inaugural Prince Phillip Challenge Cup in 2021 and secured a bronze medal in the NSR girls coxed fours in 2022 and a bronze in J15 girls second eights in 2023.
The club has an impressive roster of alumni, including boat race winners, countless Olympians and a selection of Olympic medallists. Most recently, Harry Brightmore won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in an undefeated season on the world cup circuit. Harry coxed the King’s first eight for three years during his time at school, before he worked his way up through the ranks on the GB program to eventually represent Great Britain at the Paris Olympics.
Photo credits: Andy Brown
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