Wells Moat Boat Races

Where: Wells in the Moat at the Bishops Palace
When: August Bank Holiday Monday
Time: From 11 am with Racing from 12.30 until around 4pm

 

The Moat Boat Races are held each August Bank Holiday Monday as a fundraiser for local charities, and the day has been organised by City of Wells Lions for around twenty years. Competitors paddle their assorted craft fast and furiously around the photogenic moat of the Bishops Palace, while a variety of entertainments are on offer in the surrounding park catering for all ages. There are prizes for fancy dress as well as speed, and it’s a popular family-friendly afternoon, with good views of the flotilla for spectators from the outer bank of the moat. Classes for different age categories and community groups take place beginning with knock-out heats, and the Archbishop’s Cup is presented to a team which must include at least one member of the clergy! The seaworthiness or lack thereof of some of the rafts means that it isn’t uncommon for a team or two to end up in the drink…The setting is absolutely idyllic and the event must be unrivalled for its scenic course.

Helpful Hints

In 2024 it should take place on Monday August 26th.

Click here for the Wells Lions: https://www.facebook.com/cityofwellslions/

Click here for the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/moatboatrace

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