Bedford Girls' School Rowing Club - Bedford | UK Rowing Clubs | Row HQ

Bedford Girls' School Rowing Club is the school boat club of Bedford Girls' School. The school stands on the banks of the Great Ouse in Bedford, and its own recruitment material says it shares a boathouse with the other Harpur Trust schools.

The present club followed the 2012 merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School, both of which had established boat clubs. The shared Longholme boathouse marked its centenary in 2022.

School reports show rowing across several year groups, with J14, J15, J16 and senior squads racing at national head events. The wider sports programme combines early-morning, evening, weekend and holiday coaching, and the school lists a boathouse and fitness centre among its facilities.

At the 2023 Schools' Head of the River, the J16 first eight won its category, the J16 second eight placed fourth and the senior eight finished eighth. Forty BGS rowers then competed at the National Junior Sculling Head, where the J16 first quad finished second in its category.

In 2026 the first eight became the first BGS crew to qualify for the main draw of Henley Royal Regatta. The crew raced St Paul's Girls' School in the opening round of the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy.

BGS also races extensively on its home water. At Star Regatta in June 2026, 11 of its 14 entries reached finals and six won their categories over the regatta's 1200m Great Ouse course. The club community supports an annual rowing ball and fundraising activities, including a 24-hour ergometer row for new blades in 2026.