MUCH water has flowed under the bridge since a fascinating piece of Hereford history sank from view.

Seventy years after being stowed away in a cellar, a relic of rowing achievement has emerged, recalling Hereford Cathedral School’s strong performance in a major regatta on the River Thames just after the Second World War.

The Old Herefordian magazine celebrated the school’s success in 1946, noting that the achievement was ‘undoubtedly the most outstanding event of the summer term’, and congratulating crew and coach, Mr Wardle. It was noted that ‘success was all the sweeter’ as they had lost members of 1st and 2nd crews and had to build a crew from scratch.

The discovery of a commemorative oar, in the cellar beneath the headmaster’s house, sparked a search for other rowing trophies. Thanks to historical findings by Malcolm Startin, details of further success in the Public Schools’ Challenge Cup at Marlow Regatta, have brought to light two other prize oars.

A hunt through all the Old Herefordian archives revealed that the Hereford school took firsts at the regatta in 1883 and in 1929, and included two similar oar trophies.

A fourth oar, commemorating Hereford’s win in the 1949 race, is on display in the sports’ pavilion at Wyeside.

Fittingly, the oar commemorating this success was found during the school’s summer works programme by boys’ head of rowing, lower sixth pupil Patrick Morgan-Jones.

In 2001, after 145 years on the Thames, the Marlow Regatta moved to a multi-lane rowing course at Dorney Lake, Eton, held two weeks before Henley Royal Regatta. The challenge cup is still fiercely competed for to this day.