The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race 2025: History, Traditions and Where To Watch
Britain is a nation known its long-standing eccentricities. We're home to many quirky customs that we’ve never thought to question and, in doing so, they have become intrinsic to our culture. Cheese rolling anyone? Believed to be over six hundred years old, this ludicrous tradition takes place in late spring in the Cotswolds, with thousands gathering to watch contestants race down Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, in pursuit of a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese. Some other bizarre sports include egg throwing, pancake flipping and black pudding hurling, to name a few.
Not so humorously food-based - and therefore perhaps a little more sophisticated - is the iconic Boat Race. Certainly the most recognised of all this nation's eccentric sporting endeavours, the Boat Race is one of our country's best-known annual sporting events. Follow us on our day out to the Boat Race 2019, and let us tell you how it all started, how we celebrated and why we continue to be devoted, almost two hundred years after the inaugural race.
History of the Boat Race
Dating back to 1829, the rowing race began as a head-to-head match between the Old Harrovian school friends Charles Merivale, who was studying at St John's College, Cambridge, and Charles Wordsworth, at Christ Church, Oxford. They challenged the boat clubs of the prestigious Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to a race at Henley-on-Thames. A women's race was later introduced in 1927, dividing the race into two open-weight eights.
Whilst the first race was held at Henley-on-Thames, the second race in 1836 moved downriver to the stretch of the River Thames between Westminster and Putney in London. This adjustment brought much dispute, with Cambridge preferring the London course and Oxford preferring Henley.
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A photo of Cambridge training when Hugh Laurie rowed for the team in 1980 (Photo by Dennis /Getty Images)[/caption]
Race Day 2019
Come 7th April 2019, we put on our most elegant outerwear and wellingtons (we recommend waterproofs in England’s unpredictable weather), and headed down for the 164th Boat Race. With flasks of tea in-hand, we assumed position at our favourite viewing point on Chiswick Pier: a location with incredible views for the final stretch of the race. The audience roared as the earnest rowers gave a last, monumental push towards the finish line, with Cambridge pulling away to make victory look easy. To commemorate yet another year of sporting excellence, we headed south of the river towards the 150-year-old Duke’s Head pub in Putney for a celebratory drink.
It is the joyous atmosphere this sporting tradition generates that we love so much. What a brilliant notion that two young men playfully challenged their opposing university boat clubs to a race all those years ago has now become one of the UK's most loved and globally observed sporting events. What better inspiration for our traditional lavender and truly British in character product range? The namesake Oxford & Cambridge collection.
Oxford & Cambridge Scent
Czech & Speake Oxford & Cambridge Spray
Oxford & Cambridge draws from memories of wandering through these esteemed universities, from snapshot views through ancient doorways to immaculate quadrangles, with their sumptuous lawns and herbaceous borders of lavender and rosemary. This was the immediate source of association between English lavender and the Oxford & Cambridge, a great compliment and addition to Czech & Speake.
With a design based on the light and dark blue house ‘colours’ of the Oxford and Cambridge universities, and graphic details that reflects the classicism of these English university cities, Oxford & Cambridge is a lavender-scented scent steeped in history.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Aigle.
Located in North America or would like to pay in Euros? Please visit our US site here and our EU site here.
A photo of Cambridge training when Hugh Laurie rowed for the team in 1980 (Photo by Dennis /Getty Images)[/caption]
Race Day 2019
Come 7th April 2019, we put on our most elegant outerwear and wellingtons (we recommend waterproofs in England’s unpredictable weather), and headed down for the 164th Boat Race. With flasks of tea in-hand, we assumed position at our favourite viewing point on Chiswick Pier: a location with incredible views for the final stretch of the race. The audience roared as the earnest rowers gave a last, monumental push towards the finish line, with Cambridge pulling away to make victory look easy. To commemorate yet another year of sporting excellence, we headed south of the river towards the 150-year-old Duke’s Head pub in Putney for a celebratory drink.
It is the joyous atmosphere this sporting tradition generates that we love so much. What a brilliant notion that two young men playfully challenged their opposing university boat clubs to a race all those years ago has now become one of the UK's most loved and globally observed sporting events. What better inspiration for our traditional lavender and truly British in character product range? The namesake Oxford & Cambridge collection.
Oxford & Cambridge Scent
Czech & Speake Oxford & Cambridge Spray
Oxford & Cambridge draws from memories of wandering through these esteemed universities, from snapshot views through ancient doorways to immaculate quadrangles, with their sumptuous lawns and herbaceous borders of lavender and rosemary. This was the immediate source of association between English lavender and the Oxford & Cambridge, a great compliment and addition to Czech & Speake.
With a design based on the light and dark blue house ‘colours’ of the Oxford and Cambridge universities, and graphic details that reflects the classicism of these English university cities, Oxford & Cambridge is a lavender-scented scent steeped in history.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Aigle.
Located in North America or would like to pay in Euros? Please visit our US site here and our EU site here.
