BOATHOUSE HIStory
The restaurant was started in an authentic Edwardian working Boathouse, alongside the punt station (established 1904) on the banks of the river Cherwell by Anthony Verdin, a local entrepreneur and connoisseur of fine wine and food. It's still family owned and run by son's Johnny & Arthur.
The Boathouse has been a much loved feature of Oxford life since Victorian times, popular both with students and with visitors.
For centuries, flat-bottomed boats had been used either for carrying cargo or for fishing, but it was not until the 1860s that the first ‘pleasure punts’ appeared. Its popularity grew quickly, not least because the Cherwell – shallow, slow-moving and largely free of other river traffic – proved an ideal setting. What’s more, punting was considered especially suitable as a gentle entertainment for young ladies: the oldest of the women’s colleges, Lady Margaret Hall, still keeps its own punts on the river.
In 1904 Thomas Tims, the University Waterman, built the Cherwell Boathouse and a substantial residential house just behind it where he planned to live with his family. He already had his boat building yard at Long Bridges on the Isis and wanted to set up a punt hire business on the Cherwell in leafy North Oxford. He died in 1908 before the family moved into the house, but the Boathouse continued to be known for many years as Tims’ Boathouse.
Finally in 1963, his grandsons Tom Tims Walker and Harry Walker, aged 79 and 73 respectively, decided that the time had come to retire and sell both businesses. The Cherwell Boathouse, on a 21 year lease from St John’s college was sold to Commander Perowne, who continued to run it as a going concern, and in November 1968 he sold it to Anthony Verdin.
award winning wine list
Our wine list has been well known to the wine trade for many years. The list represents the fruition of the Morris & Verdin partnership between Jasper Morris MW and Boathouse owner Anthony Verdin.
For the wine lover, our reputation is first and foremost outstanding value for money. The list has a high proportion of famous producers and is exceptional for its rare wines and older vintages.
The Boathouse continues to have a strong relationship with Fields, Morris and Verdin today (now owned by Berry Brothers), as well as other wine merchants such as Flint, Bancroft, Thorman Hunt, Pol Roger, and local suppliers Grape Minds in Summer Town.
The list is managed by restaurant manager Brice Guibert and Arthur Verdin who are always pleased to offer advice and assistance with wine selection.
To enjoy some of the older wines to their fullest potential it is advisable to allow time for us to decant and let the wine breath before you arrive (usually one hour or even longer at times).
PUNT BUILDING
Punt Manager Roger Forster recruited Bob Dowling, an experienced carpenter, and together they set about repairing, replacing and adding punts to the now 75 strong fleet. As well as maintaining our fleet we have built punts for Oxford colleges along with many private sales including exporting to France and Ireland.
Having served a long apprenticeship in traditional punt building Roger took advantage of Bobs broader carpentry knowledge and together developed a punt design that improved on the traditional method.
The bottom of a traditional punt was made with planks of soft wood, usually yellow or pitch pine. This would expand when wet and contract when dry (much like a beer barrel), so over winter when the boats are out of the water the seams would open up and the boat would need to be sunk at the beginning of the season to “take up”. This movement within the boat is where problems would start with ware and water ingress fatigue would take it's toll.
By building the boats with a marine plywood bottom we have eliminated that movement therefore increasing the boats lifespan, reducing the maintenance and increasing the overall stability of the boat without detracting from the traditional look.