BARTONS BUILDING
Professional Building Contractor, Plymouth, Devon

Bartons has designed and built a new boathouse for the Rame Gig Club, in Cawsand, Cornwall.

Rame Gig Club was formed in 1992 by former members of the Cawsand Bay Rowing Club and others in order to revive and promote the sport of competitive rowing on the Rame Peninsula and principally to utilise the valuable natural resources of the area.

The newly converted and refurbished boat house has been long awaited and is part of an ambitious £200,000 development to increase and improve the storage area for the three Gigs, Spirit of Rame, Minnadhu and Penlee Point. The facility allows disabled access as well as providing toilet and kitchen facilities to the ground floor. The development boasts a new 1st floor training room which can also be used as a community meeting facility. The new facility will provide a fitness suite for the entire local community.

The new Boat House and Fitness Suite are based in Cawsand Square with balcony views over Cawsand Bay. The venue is the base for the Rame Gig Club who train and race Cornish Pilot Gigs most evenings and weekends, racing in local Regatta’s and attending the annual World Championships for Cornish Pilot Gigs held in Scillies each May. The intention is to expand in numbers and offer a wider choice to include indoor rowing hopefully to competition standard, and to increase the partnership with the local Schools in encouraging more youth to participate in the sport.

The official open day was held on the 9th April and to which the community was invited. Local hero Pete Goss, famous around the world sailor was the guest of honour. Rame is the first gig club to be awarded funding from British Rowing and the new facility is a first step in the club's development plan, put together by committee members with support from British Rowing. National Manager, Rosemary Napp, and Facilities Consultant, Alan Meegan, were delighted to join club members and the local community to witness the cutting of the ribbon.

Quotes from Rame Gig Club Members

Don Seymour Chairman of Rame Gig Club , is delighted:
"To realise our Club vision we had to transform an almost derelict gig shed into a modern facility that will be an asset for the club and community for the foreseeable future. The newly refurbished and extended clubhouse will provide improved facilities for the Sport as well as a much needed training and meeting area. It will help maintain the sport of rowing for generations to come”.

Gill Gibson Vice Chairman of Rame Gig Club:
"This has been a long hard slog, and a huge team effort. Bartons delivered an excellent facility that will serve future generations and provide facilities that will help secure the long-term existence of an excellent sport. This is great news, not only for our current members, but also for the community in Cawsand, Kingsand and the surrounding area who will benefit from this fantastic facility.”

John Shepherd – Treasurer of Rame Gig Club
"We have been extremely fortunate and proud to secure grant funding together with generous donations received from within the community to allow this development to become a reality. Bartons delivered the project to an extremely high standard, to budget and to programme. This was a remarkable achievement given the adverse weather conditions coupled with a bespoke and complex design. We are delighted.”

Steve Radley – Rame Gig Club
"A difficult build in the centre of the community. Throughout, the builder remained sensitive to local opinion and produced an excellent facility that is architecturally sympathetic and harmonises with surrounding historically important buildings"