Your Heritage
Newquay Rowing Club (NRC) was established in 1921 and is the oldest club on the pilot gig rowing circuit. It has over 600 members and is open all year round, providing recreational and social opportunities for the local community.
Pilot gigs are traditional Cornish rowing boats. Gig racing became a popular sport throughout the county during the nineteenth century. By the 1880s it was in decline and most of the boats were left to rot or broken up and reused for other purposes. Apart from the Isles of Scilly, Newquay was the last port in Cornwall to have pilot gigs and retained some of the boats. NRC looks after three of the last surviving pilot gigs in mainland UK, with the oldest, Newquay, dating back to 1812.
NRC restored these rare boats so that they could be raced again. A team of local volunteers worked with one of Cornwall’s leading boat builders to restore the gigs. The restoration of the Newquay was carried out at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. This enabled members of the public to see the work taking place and learn about the skills involved. Pamphlets and display panels about the project were created and have been used across the county at different events. Local school children also took part in projects based on the restoration and rowed the gigs. There was wide media interest in the project, raising the profile of local heritage and awareness of the importance of traditional skills.
Traditional boat restoration skills were passed on to the volunteers, helping to ensure the future survival of the gigs. The local community and visitors to the area have become more aware of the significance of pilot gig racing to the heritage of the county. Replicas of the original gigs are being built and the popularity of the sport is increasing amongst men, women and under 16s. The innovative work of the NRC volunteers was recognised in 2008 when the project won an award in the Nationwide Community and Heritage Awards.