The fight to save one of city's last rowing barges

A look upstream from Donnington Bridge reveals more than just a scenic view of the River Thames.

Moored at Meadow Lane is one of the last remaining jewels of Oxford's golden rowing era, the Corpus Christi barge.

It was originally built to act as the college rower's changing rooms, launching station and a viewing platform.

In the 1940s there were as many as 26 college rowing barges, today, only six remain afloat and most are privately owned.

Zanna Hoskins from the Oxford College Barge Preservation Trust says she is so lucky to live on the barge

The Corpus Christi barge is owned and managed by The Oxford College Barge Preservation Trust. It is on a mission to set her up for a new life in the 2030s.

The barge has been the home of committee member Zanna Hoskins and her family for more than a month.

It is the third time Zanna has been living under its roof. She stayed there for three years in the 1990s and then again for three years in the 2000s.

"I was looking for a boat to live in when I was in my 20s and came next door to visit a friend of a friend who was living on a narrowboat," she said.

"This place has been home to so many of my friends and my family over the years," she added.

She said it has also witnessed "some absolutely fantastic parties".

"When you get the music pumping in here, the whole place bounces, the whole floor bumps."

She loved it so much that she held her wedding there.

The barges were brought to Oxford around the Victorian era when physical activity and rowing were becoming really popular

The barge was built in 1930 by Oxford-based business Salters' Steamers.

It was the last of its kind to be built. Its predecessors had been brought to Oxford around the Victorian era when physical activity and rowing were becoming really popular.

"It was the Oxford University Rowing Club [that] brought these old livery barges from London to Oxford to act as changing rooms and launching platforms for the rowers," Mrs Hoskins explained.

The vessels used to be moored up at Christchurch Meadow, with their flags flying on Eight Week, the University of Oxford's main college rowing event.

Mrs Hoskins said they fitted "beautifully" with the rest of Oxford's architectural flourish.

The barges used to be moored up at Christchurch Meadow, with their flags flying on Eight Week

As much as they were adored in the 1930s, the barges gradually started falling into disrepair.

By the 1960s and 1970s the colleges no longer prioritised their upkeep and new boat houses on Christ Church meadow took their place.

But some hope was restored in 1966 when Sarah Hosking, a 25-year-old art teacher, founded the preservation trust with a group of undergraduates.

She wanted to acquire, restore, preserve and maintain the barges as a feature of Oxford.

"Barges at Oxford were a magnificent Edwardian display," she said.

Ms Hosking added that there had been "a wonderful figurehead of a pelican" on the Corpus Christi Barge.

Sarah Hosking was a 25-year-old art teacher when she founded the preservation trust with a group of undergraduates in 1966

In 1971 the trust reported that there were at the time 13 barges still in existence.

Ship-building engineer Robert Maccoun was employed as a consultant and the trust said he was responsible "pretty much single-handedly" for rescuing four of the barges "from a watery grave".

Mrs Hoskins said many of the barges had suffered from vandalism.

"We need to have somebody living here so that it stays dry and that it's properly maintained, but it's also that security element because they're just a magnet for vandalism," she said.

Another of the vessels that has survived is the Jesus College Barge, which in 1955 nearly sank and was damaged by fire in 1988.

But after full restoration, in summer 2022, she opened as restaurant Peggy Jean at Richmond-upon-Thames.

Her owners describe her as "an intimate bar and dining space inside and a large sun-soaked pontoon overlooking the Thames, Richmond Bridge and the riverside".

The Jesus College Barge now serves as restaurant Peggy Jean at Richmond-upon-Thames

Marketing manager April Shannon said it was "a privilege to work on a unique piece of history".

"Her charm, craftsmanship and the stories she carries make it incredibly special," she said.

Ms Shannon added that guest were "fascinated" to learn about her origin.

"There's a strong sense of nostalgia and surprise that such a historic vessel is still in daily use," she said.

Originally, the barge wore Jesus College's green and white colours with a Welsh red dragon on the prow but today, her exterior is "a soft cream and blue with varnished wood and brass details that celebrate her nautical heritage".

The barge's management says guest are "fascinated" to learn about her origin

Another of the barge's former tenants is committee chair and trustee David Thomas, who studied at Corpus Christi College.

"As soon as I realised I could live on a boat here in Oxford, I jumped at the chance," he said.

He said the trust wanted to consult the community "to see how we can make the boat more accessible".

This year, two open days in September, when the public were welcomed on board, attracted 483 visitors.

Trustee David Thomas said the barge "is all about connection"

Mr Thomas also said they were now "really keen" to raise funds for to preserve the barge, which will be 100 years old in 2030.

Through a crowdfunding campaign, the trust has raised more than £11,000 which "will do some of the essential work like stopping the rain coming in".

"We're looking to raise about £100,000, so we can have a 100th birthday with a boat back to its former glory," Mr Thomas said.

"A boat like this is all about connection - it's connected here to the environment, it's connected to the river, which changes."

He said without the necessary funding there was a risk "the condition of the boat will go so far that we won't be able to save it".

David Thomas said Tolkien's early sketches of Bag End were "stunningly similar to Corpus Christi barge", particularly the oval windows

Mr Thomas believes the barge had been floating down the river the same time JRR Tolkien was starting to write The Hobbit.

"If you look at his early sketches of Lord of the Rings' Bag End where Bilbo lived, it is stunningly similar to Corpus Christi barge both in its shape and particularly its gorgeous oval windows," he said.

"Wouldn't it be a terrible shame if the home that inspired Bilbo was lost?"

The Corpus Christi Barge is one of the last remaining jewels of Oxford's golden rowing era