The Oxford College Barges Preservation Trust are fighting to save the Corpus Christi barge, one of Oxford University’s last remaining barges, from falling into disrepair.
The preservation trust have launched a fundraising campaign to restore the barge. They spoke of the importance the boat has locally, saying it has “found a place in the hearts of the local community”.
The Trust is looking to raise £100,000 so that the barge can be restored to its former glory in time for its 100th birthday in 2030. David Thomas of the Trust, a committee chair, trustee, former tenant, and alumnus of Corpus Christi, told the BBC that without sufficient funding, “the condition of the boat will go so far that we won’t be able to save it”.
Thomas has championed a crowdfunding campaign that has now raised more than £11,000, and this year the barge opened for two days in September and received 483 visitors.
Corpus Christi College’s first barge was built in 1884. After it’s eventual degradation, the replacement and current barge was built by local Oxford business Salters’ Steamers in 1930, costing £3,000. It was in memoriam in honour of an alumnus of the College who died in the Battle of the Somme. Cherwell understands that the boat was the last of its kind to be built.
The University’s barges used to be moored in Christ Church Meadow and were used as changing rooms and launching points for rowers. The Corpus Christi barge is now one of the last remaining one in operation. Most fell into disuse during the 1960s and 1970s as colleges stopped prioritising their upkeep and replaced them with new boat houses.
In 1966, the Oxford College Barges Preservation Trust was founded by Sarah Hosking, a 25-year-old art teacher, alongside a group of students Their aim was to preserve the remaining barges. Robert Maccoun, a ship-building engineer, was also asked to be a consultant on the project and contributed to rescuing and maintaining the remaining barges.
To ensure proper upkeep and avoid vandalism, the Corpus Christi barge is inhabited by members of the Trust’s committee. Currently, Zanna Hoskins, a committee member of the Preservation Trust, lives in the barge with her family, having previously lived there twice in the past. Occupation of the barge changes to a different member of the committee every three years. The Corpus Christi barge is believed to have inspired elements of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. David Thomas said that Tolkien’s early sketches of the novel’s Bag End were “stunningly similar” to the barge, particularly noting its “gorgeous oval windows”.
