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Oxford College Eyes Return of 125-Year-Old Rowing Barge
23 Oct
Summary
- New College, Oxford, received an offer to buy back its former rowing barge.
- The 125-year-old vessel is available for purchase at £290,000.
- Only six college rowing barges remain afloat from a past era of 26.
A historic 125-year-old rowing barge, once belonging to New College at the University of Oxford, has been offered for repurchase. The college governors are currently reviewing the £290,000 offer from the current owner, Julius Just. In the 1940s, Oxford boasted 26 college rowing barges, but now only six remain afloat, with most privately held.
The New College barge was commissioned in 1901 and rebuilt in 1927. These barges served as floating clubhouses for colleges that lacked land-based boathouses, becoming prominent during rowing events like Eights Week. However, by the 1960s and 1970s, colleges reduced their upkeep as new boathouses were built.
Julius Just, who lived on the barge in London from 1992 to 2001, views its potential return to Oxford as a repatriation. He believes the barge, known for its innovative design, deserves to be secured by the institution whose history it carries, ideally moored on the River Isis.
