Lea Rowing Club, sitting on the River Lea in Hackney, is the only London rowing club not based on the Thames.
With a long history rooted in working men and women’s sport, the club’s ethos continues to be focused on promoting access to rowing for all. Initiatives to increase diversity in Lea R.C. squads, ranging from recreational to Henley-winning Performance athletes, include its ‘I Belong’ access project, designed to encourage people from the diverse local community to try the sport. This commitment to inclusion contributed to Lea R.C. being voted 2023 Rowing Club of the Year. Continuing this mission, the ‘I am a Rower’ exhibition features photos of club members in kit and everyday clothing, taken by photographer Chris Baker, displayed alongside written and audio stories – all of which aim to challenge and inspire a wider understanding of what it means to be a rower.
Opening times: 10am – 4pm
Price: Free with admission
20% discount available for both day passes and annual passes with the Experience Henley Card. Click here for details to find out more and on how to sign up and download the app.
Organiser
One of the UK’s leading independent Museums, the River & Rowing Museum has over 114,000 visitors a year.
The Museum opened in 1998 to celebrate the River, the international sport of Rowing and the town of Henley on Thames. From 2004 a fourth permanent gallery, the enormously popular Wind in the Willows exhibition, was added. In 2017, following a successful crowdfunding campaign in partnership with the Art Fund, the John Piper gallery was opened, celebrating the life and work of this internationally renowned artist. Working closely with organisations in the local area, the Museum has recently opened a Community Gallery which showcases a wide variety of local projects.
Running a lively programme of temporary and visiting exhibitions, the Museum works with partners such as the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the Hayward Gallery in London. The Museum offers a broad calendar of activities including lectures, children’s workshops and family events.
Twice shortlisted for Family Friendly Museum of the Year, the Museum is a registered educational charity. The dedicated education centre runs innovative education programmes and the Museum welcomes over 20,000 children and adults who take part in a variety of fund and inspiring learning events and workshops.
Situated alongside the river in Henley on Thames, the building, designed by the acclaimed architect Sir David Chipperfield, was designated Royal Fine Arts Commission Building of the Year in 1999. The oak, glass and steel design combines the influence of local boathouses and Oxfordshire barns with a strong modernist approach and was described by him as a ‘resolution between convention and invention’.
A registered charity, the Museum depends upon private donations, business sponsorship, grants from trust and foundations, admission charges and the support of our benefactors, donors and friends.
The museum has delightful café with a terrace overlooking Mill Meadows, and a shop specialising in children’s books and games, fashion and craft.