Newport Rowing Club was founded in 1884 and occupied a site on the west side of the River Usk. The boat house opened in 1890 and a slipway, which remained extant until the 1930s, was constructed in 1893 at a cost of £100. In the 1930s, the boat house was renamed Hornby House and was used by a local scout group as their headquarters. The site, along with the adjacent tennis courts, is now a car park.

Daryl Leeworthy, RCAHMW, 17 March 2011.