Head of the River Fours
4+1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.
History
The idea for a Tradesmen's Tideway Head Race for fours, was first mooted in the early 1950s by the Thames Amateur Rowing Association (the TARA).[n 1]
After picking a date for the new race the TARA dropped their plans after learning that the Tradesmen's Rowing Clubs Association had also started to organise a similar open fours race.[n 2]
Thus the fledgling "Head of the River 4s" was first raced in 1955. In the following years the race was known as the Tradesmen's Rowing Clubs' Association Head of the River Fours, though even at this stage ARA clubs were entering along with NARA and TRCA clubs.
In the late 1950s the ARA and NARA finally merged into the Amateur Rowing Association of Great Britain. The event then became known simply as the Head of the River Fours, and was handed over to a new Committee in 1963 after the TRCA's eventual amalgamation.
In the first race, 34 crews rowed over a three-mile course from Chiswick Steps to Putney Pier. The entry has grown steadily over the years and in 1988 the race was extended to the full four and a quarter mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney (i.e., the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race course in reverse).
Since its inception, many changes have taken place to the race, including the course length and alterations. Most crew/boat categories with four rowers have been added. In particular the introduction of quads was in 1973 when there were just three entries. Women's crews first competed in the HOR4s in 1977 (when there were 20 entries) after the event merged with the Women's Rowing Committee Head of the River Fours. Lightweight events were added in 2008 but have since been discontinued due to lack of entries. In general, the race is over-subscribed and attracts entries from all over the United Kingdom and abroad.
Fuller, Smith and Turner began their sponsorship of the Race in 1979 and event winners are rewarded each year with excellent hospitality in the Hock Cellar at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, where the prizes are presented.
Events
The race currently provides 18 events for coxed fours, coxless fours and quadruple sculls in Club, Academic and School/Junior categories for open and women's crews. It is run by a committee of volunteers.[1]
See also
- Rowing on the River Thames
- Head of the River Race – a similar race open to men's eights.
- Women's Eights Head of the River Race
Notes and references
- Notes
- ^ This was the Thames branch of the National Amateur Rowing Association, the governing body formed of manual workers who could not join the ARA (which did not recognise their amateur status, maintaining until the late 1960s in some international events that rowing was a good sport for non-manual workers but that they could be put at a disadvantage if racing against those who worked outdoors in physically demanding work.) NARA's existence reflected demand from such men and women too to compete in the sport, many of whom were drawn to the sport by living near a busy river.
- ^ A similar organisation formed of riverine and canal-based professionals such as hired watermen, point-to-point ferrymen, bargemen and boat repairers and all others who worked with boats full-time.
- References
- ^ "Entries". Head of the River Fours. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- Cleaver, Hylton, A History of Rowing
- National Amateur Rowing Association, London Metropolitan Archives, Catalogue Ref. A/NAR
External links
- Head of The River Fours website
- v
- t
- e
- Barnes
- East Sheen
- Fulwell
- Ham
- Hampton
- Hampton Hill
- Hampton Wick
- Kew
- Mortlake
- Petersham
- Richmond
- St Margarets
- Strawberry Hill
- Teddington
- Twickenham
- Whitton
- Barnes
- Barnes Bridge
- Fulwell
- Hampton
- Hampton Wick
- Kew Gardens
- Mortlake
- North Sheen
- Richmond
- St Margarets
- Strawberry Hill
- Teddington
- Twickenham
- Whitton
- A307 road
- A308 road
- A309 road
- A316 road
- Barnes High Street
- Castelnau, Barnes
- Church Road, Barnes
- George Street, Richmond
- Kew Green
- Mill Hill, Barnes
- Mortlake High Street
- Old Palace Lane
- Old Palace Yard
- Queen's Road
- Ringway 2
- South Circular Road
- The Green, Richmond
- The Terrace, Barnes
- The Vineyard, Richmond
and river services
- Beverley Brook
- River Crane
- Duke of Northumberland's River
- Longford River
- Sudbrook and Latchmere stream
- River Thames
- Athletic Ground, Richmond
- Barn Elms playing fields
- The Championship Course
- Cricket clubs and grounds
- Golf clubs and courses
- Hampton Pool
- The Lensbury
- Pools on the Park
- Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court
- Teddington Pools and Fitness Centre
- Thames Young Mariners
- Twickenham Stadium
- Twickenham Stoop
- former Ranelagh Club
- former Richmond Ice Rink
- Britannia, Richmond
- The Bull's Head, Barnes
- The Crown, Twickenham
- Dysart Arms, Petersham
- The Fox, Twickenham
- The George, Twickenham
- Hare and Hounds, East Sheen
- Jolly Coopers, Hampton
- Old Ship, Richmond
- Park Hotel, Teddington
- Richmond Brewery Stores
- Sun Inn, Barnes
- Twickenham Fine Ales
- Watney Combe & Reid
- White Cross, Richmond
- The White Swan, Twickenham
and music venues
- The Bull's Head
- Crawdaddy Club
- The Exchange
- Olympic Studios
- Orange Tree Theatre
- OSO Arts Centre
- Puppet Theatre Barge
- Richmond Theatre
- TwickFolk
- Wathen Hall
- former Eel Pie Island Hotel
- former Richmond Theatre (1765–1884|
- Richmond and Twickenham Times
- former Gaydar Radio
- former Hogarth Press
of interest
- 123 Mortlake High Street
- 14 The Terrace, Barnes
- 18 Station Road, Barnes
- 70 Barnes High Street
- Asgill House
- Barnes power station
- Brinsworth House
- Bushy House
- Cambridge Cottage
- Chapel House
- Chapel in the Wood
- Clarence House
- Doughty House
- Douglas House
- Downe House
- East Sheen Filling Station
- Fulwell bus garage
- Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare
- Garrick's Villa
- Great Pagoda, Kew Gardens
- Grove House, Hampton
- Halford House
- Ham House
- Hampton Water Treatment Works
- Hampton Youth Project
- Harrods Furniture Depository
- Hogarth House
- The Homestead
- Hotham House
- Kew Gardens
- Kew Mortuary
- King's Observatory
- Kneller Hall
- Langham House
- Langham House Close
- Latchmere House
- Lichfield Court
- Marble Hill House
- Montrose House
- National Physical Laboratory
- Normansfield Theatre
- The Old Court House
- Old Town Hall, Richmond
- Ormeley Lodge
- Parkleys
- Park Lane Stables Teddington
- The Pavilion
- Pembroke Lodge
- Pope's Grotto
- Poppy Factory
- Royal Military School of Music
- Royal Star and Garter Home
- St Leonard's Court
- Strawberry Hill House
- Stud House
- Sudbrook House and Park
- Thatched House Lodge
- Trumpeters' House
- University Boat Race Stones
- Victoria Working Men's Club
- West Hall
- White Lodge
- The Wick
- Wick House
- Yelverton Lodge
- York House
- former Admiralty Research Laboratory
- former Alcott House
- former Camp Griffiss
- former Cardigan House
- former Cross Deep House
- former The Karsino
- former Mortlake Tapestry Works
- former Mount Ararat
- former Pope's villa
- former Radnor House
- former Richmond House
- former Richmond Lodge
- former Richmond Theological College
- former Sheen Priory
- former Star and Garter Hotel
- former Twickenham Park
- Adana Printing Machines
- Ashe baronets
- Cook baronets of Doughty House
- Darell baronets, of Richmond Hill
- GHQ Liaison Regiment (Phantom)
- Hampton Court Conference
- Kew Letters
- Petersham Hole
- Pocock baronets
- Richmond Flyers
- Richmond, Petersham and Ham Open Spaces Act 1902
- Treaty of Hampton Court (1562)
- Vandeput baronets
- Warren-Lambert
- Wigan baronets
- Richmond Park
- Twickenham
- former Richmond and Barnes
- former Richmond (Surrey)