It may surprise readers to discover that one of the UK’s most successful rowing clubs is nestled on the banks of the River Wear in the market town of Chester-le-Street, County Durham. While many of the greatest domestic accolades in our sport continue, in large part, to be scooped up by a small collection of clubs and schools situated south of Nottingham, Chester-le-Street ARC are achieving their mission of mass disruption to this trend.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Club Captain Arran Lewcock, 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Lauren Irwin, and British junior record holder Dana Simpson to hear all about the club they call home.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Chester-le-Street ARC.
Steeped in tradition, the club has called the Riverside Park area of Chester-le-Street its home since 1888, featuring a long list of custodians who have helped shape its ethos into what it is today. With the town itself even dating back to the Roman period, it is fitting that the rowing club has, piece by piece, year by year, constructed its very own empire.
The most recent re-vamp of the club came in 2022 when, following a 12-month closure, Arran and an army of other volunteer staff launched the club to new heights. Proud to be the person at the nominal helm of “the new Chester-le-Street”, Arran stated that he is “a big believer that people excel in an environment that they like to be in” and that the renovations have “given our members a reason to spend more time here” than simply turning up to training sessions. Arran continued, “We have had a seriously fast-paced delivery of projects…all in all, I think a combination of the environment we have physically built alongside the welcoming family approach all our members have had led us to a frankly amazing 520% growth in three years.”
The recent updates included a complete renovation of the club changing area and facilities, the launch of the club café, the redesign of the ergo rooms (including a full suite of new ergos), a brand-new multi-purpose training room for cross-training, and many upgrades to boats and blades. Dubbed “CLS 2.0” and spearheaded by Arran, he reminded me that this was far from a solo endeavour, “I think I should take the time to call out our fundraiser, treasurer and local councillors, and the fact that everyone involved across coaching, maintenance, management and even the café staff are volunteers”, he shared. “We have raised close to £150,000 since the relaunch…anyone who deals with landlords, funders, planning permission, or construction companies will hopefully realise that these projects were much more work than they sound!”
A culture of winning
When it comes to return on investment, Chester-le-Street’s efforts and upgrades have paid ample dividends in the form of athletes collecting regional and national-level silverware, international vests, course records and, as of last summer, Olympic medals. Dwelling on the latter, Lauren Irwin – current British national team athlete who came away with bronze in the women’s eight at the 2024 Paris Olympics – is undoubtedly one of the jewels in Chester-le-Street’s crown. Reliving her Olympic final, Lauren explained, “It’s hard to put into words what that moment felt like…this was the moment I had dreamed of since starting rowing. I remember crossing the line and asking my teammate behind me if we had actually just won the Olympic bronze medal. Only then did the feelings of pure relief and excitement hit me.”
However, for Lauren, without the countless miles built up on the River Wear as a junior at Chester-le-Street (and latterly a student at Durham University), she explained that these dreams of Olympic podiums would have been significantly harder to achieve, and that representing Chester-le-Street at Durham Regatta, ‘the Henley of the North’, was the first time she experienced real success in rowing. “I raced the Elite category just aged 17…luckily for me, I came away with the win and I like to think this was a key event in getting me one step closer to a GB vest and my name on the honours board [at Chester-le-Street].” It only takes one positive moment to trigger confidence to push that little bit harder.
Heartwarmingly, Lauren has never forgotten her roots and brings an irrepressible sense of pride to Arran, who put her into her very first boat for that very first Durham Regatta win. “I think any club in the country would love to have a representative and ambassador for the club like Lauren,” said Arran. “From her stellar rowing performances to her absolute commitment to where she came from, she shows the juniors that you can walk a path from rowing at a small club in the north east to making a mark on the world stage.”
Lauren and many other alumni have become a source of inspiration for the current cohort of junior athletes striving for greatness. One such rising star is Dana Simpson, who shot to viral fame in the rowing world and captured our hearts, following a monumental course record-winning performance in the WJ14 single at the 2025 British Rowing Club Championships. Describing her course record as “the cherry on top” of a fantastic season for herself and the wider junior squad, Dana agreed with Lauren that Chester-le-Street provides a springboard for serious success. “We all work as a team and pull in the same direction,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the teamwork, support and encouragement every junior, senior, coach and parent gives each other every session, the club would not be what it is now.”
Dana is one of many current juniors at Chester-le-Street picking up wins across the country. Wider club performances at the National Schools’ Regatta, Henley Women’s Regatta, Junior Inter-Regional Regatta, Home International Regatta, and more have put Chester-le-Street well and truly on the map this year. “Since then, we have had lots of new members and interest in the club,” Dana explained, and Arran added, “I think we may be more known about than we think”. With athletes like these, rightly so.
More than a rowing club
Moving away from medals and championships, our discussion highlighted an equally inspiring development for the club: integration into the broader community of Chester-le-Street. Arran shared, “Beyond the medals, I would love us to be recognised as a club thinking outside the box with community partnerships, looking for rowers in places a lot of clubs wouldn’t, building one of the strongest team ethics around, and remaining a key part of our local community for another 137 years.”
Great strides have already been made in the community partnerships department. One particularly poignant initiative Arran highlighted is the club’s partnership with If U Care Share, a local charity with national reach, providing support services in prevention, intervention, and post-vention for those affected by, or at risk of, suicide. By providing the backdrop and facilities for meet-ups and events organised by If U Care Share and several other charities and support groups in the area, the club has truly become a place for all, reminding us that rowing can positively unite people in so many more ways than just being out on the water.
Chester-le-Street ARC have earned every one of their recent moments in the spotlight. Looking ahead, whether through membership, facilities, names on the honours board, medals, or broader community impact, they show no signs of slowing down. Summarised by Arran perfectly, “the journey is nowhere near over.”
Image credit: Chester-le-Street ARC
