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70-474: A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow , designed for use in small rivers and shallow water. Punting is boating in a punt; the punter propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole. Punts were originally built as cargo boats and as platforms for fowling and for fishing, such as angling ; whereas now punting is boating for pleasure. The term punt also refers to smaller versions of regional types of long shore work boats, such as

140-563: A stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . British One Penny coin (pre-decimal) The British pre-decimal penny was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1 ⁄ 240 of one pound or 1 ⁄ 12 of one shilling . Its symbol was d , from the Roman denarius . It was a continuation of the earlier English penny , and in Scotland it had the same monetary value as one pre-1707 Scottish shilling. The penny

210-450: A "counter" or a "till" (terms from cabinet making ), that extends some six feet (1.8 m) from that end. The Thames punt-building tradition was that the end with the till was the stern, as shown in the diagram. The till provides some extra torsional rigidity, and is normally closed in; occasionally a locker may be built into it. A small minority of punts, such as those made from fibreglass at Magdalen College, Oxford have no single till in

280-578: A boat of the same beam with a narrow or pointed bow; the square-cut bow also makes the punt very stable, suitable for transporting passengers. The first punts are associated with the River Thames in England and were built as small cargo boats and as platforms for fishermen . Pleasure punts, built specifically for recreation, became popular on the Thames between 1860 and 1880. Some other boats have

350-529: A deck at both ends. Photographs of punting on the Backs in 1910 show that the practice was well established by then; according to Don Strange, an old Cambridge boat man interviewed in the 1970s, the practice was started by women from Girton anxious to show off their ankles. From late in the 19th century until at least 1989, an undergraduate social club called the Damper Club (or Dampers Club after 1958), took

420-654: A few Skiff and Punting clubs. There are active clubs at punting ledges at Thames Valley Skiff Club in Walton-on-Thames , Dittons Skiff and Punting Club in Thames Ditton , The Skiff Club in Teddington , Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club in Wraysbury , Wargrave & Shiplake , and Sunbury . These clubs concentrate on racing punts and leisurely club-organised meanders . Punt racing in England

490-679: A loose responsibility for the interests of punting on the Cam. Membership was open to "all those who have unwillingly entered the Cam fully clothed". The future Python Graham Chapman was president in 1961–62. The Dampers Club has been succeeded by the Cambridge University Punting Society, also known as "the Granta Rats", an undergraduate student society in the University of Cambridge , founded in 2010. Where

560-410: A metal shoe on one end. ‹The template Manual is being considered for merging .›   Punting is not as easy as it looks. As in rowing, you soon learn how to get along and handle the craft, but it takes long practice before you can do this with dignity and without getting the water all up your sleeve. The basic technique of punting is to shove the boat along with a pole by pushing directly on

630-401: A paddle wheel. The advantage this gives the punter is that the pole can be dropped onto the river bed at an angle forward of the punter's position, while the momentum of the punt continues. When the pole comes vertical, pressure can be applied immediately to drive the punt forwards. This style of punting is particularly effective at providing power more continuously in fast-flowing streams or when

700-445: A penny this worked out to be one ounce of copper). This requirement meant that the coins would be significantly larger than the silver pennies minted previously. The large size of the coins, combined with the thick rim where the inscription was incuse i.e. punched into the metal rather than standing proud of it, led to the coins being nicknamed "cartwheels". These pennies were minted over the course of several years, but all are marked with

770-412: A punt has no keel, the draw of the boat is only a few inches even when fully laden, which makes the boat very manoeuvrable and suitable for shallow waters. A punt can be manoeuvred with equal facility in either direction, making it useful in narrow streams where turning the boat around may be difficult. The square-cut bow of the punt gives the boat greater carrying capacity for a given measure of length than

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840-669: A similar shape to a traditional punt – for example the Optimist training dinghy or the air boats used in the Everglades – but the most similar boat is the European Weidling , a type of boat that can be tracked back to Celtic boats built more than 2,000 years ago. Punts are still made in England to supply the tourist trade in Oxford and Cambridge or for racing purposes. The construction material of choice for most punts

910-620: A smaller amount of copper. In 1857 a survey by the Royal Mint found that around one third of all copper coinage was worn or mutilated, often by advertisements. Two years later Thomas Graham , the Master of the Mint, convinced William Ewart Gladstone , then Chancellor of the Exchequer , that so large a part of the copper coinage must be taken out of circulation that it was worth introducing

980-404: A standard punt; very few of these are still afloat. Racing punts, which are still used by a few specialist clubs on the lower Thames, may be built even narrower. Thames punts have occasionally been adapted for other means of propulsion: including sails, tow-ropes, and paddle wheels. With the addition of iron hoops and canvas awnings, punts have also been used for camping . The bottom of the punt

1050-404: A whole new coinage which would be "much more convenient and agreeable in use". These new coins were minted in bronze, and their specifications were no longer constrained by the onerous requirement that their face value should match the value of the base metal used to make the coin. They were introduced in 1860 and a year later the withdrawal of the old copper coinage began. The specifications of

1120-593: Is a surprisingly quiet and rural experience. Most of the punting is done on the River Cherwell , which flows through Oxford's protected green belt of fields and woods for the last few miles before it joins the Thames just south-east of Christ Church Meadow . Unfortunately this tranquillity comes at a price, for the Cherwell is both deep and muddy, and the muddy patches cling tenaciously to the pole's shoe at unexpected moments. The problem of poles getting stuck in

1190-399: Is called "shoving around"). Some experienced punters punt one-handed. This technique is slower and harder to master than punting with both hands, and consists of a "bucket" recovery of the pole, where the pole is thrown forward rather than just pulled up, except that this recovery is done with one hand. It is also feasible to punt one-handed while turning the punt pole over, in the manner of

1260-484: Is governed by the Thames Punting Club , which maintains lists of umpires and publishes a handbook containing rules and bye-laws for those organising punt races on the Thames. Races are normally held over a distance of up to 880 yards (800 m) along a straight reach of the river, each end of the course being marked by a pair of poles called " ryepecks " which are firmly pushed into the river bed before

1330-463: Is known as the River Granta . During tourist season, students have been known to steal the poles of tourist punts as they pass below the college bridges. There are several companies on the Cam operating tours and hiring punts to visitors and, while most of the colleges along the river keep punts for the exclusive use of their students, at Trinity College the punts are also available for hire to

1400-451: Is made with long, narrow planks stretching fore and aft, attached to the flat sides and the treads. To allow the wood to swell when it gets wet, the planks are set a small distance apart (traditionally the width of an old penny , about 1–2 mm). The gaps are caulked ; this caulking normally needs to be renewed annually. The treads are attached to the sides with small wooden "knees", which may be vertical or set at an angle. The gaps between

1470-502: Is normally possible to choose either type. Racing poles are generally a great deal lighter than pleasure punt poles, and aluminium is the preferred material. It is usual to carry one or two spare poles in a race, so that one can keep punting if a pole gets stuck or is dropped. A punt pole differs from the Fenland quant in that it does not have a cross piece at the top, and from the more generally used setting pole in that it only has

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1540-405: Is propelled and directed with a pole. Poles for pleasure punts are normally made of spruce wood or aluminium alloy tube. A normal pole is about 12–16 feet (3.7–4.9 metres) long and weighs about 10  lb (5 kg). In both Oxford and Cambridge, long 16 ft (4.9 m) poles tend to be used exclusively. The bottom of the pole is fitted with a metal "shoe", a rounded lump of metal to protect

1610-456: Is the first to pass the line of the starting ryepecks (or the first one to hit his or her own ryepeck). The turn at the upstream ryepecks is done by "stopping-up"; that is the competitor passes the ryepeck on the outside, stops his or her punt with the pole just upstream of the ryepeck, turns to face the stern of the boat and punts back in the other direction, passing the ryepeck on the inside. Flat-bottomed boat The flat hull also makes

1680-464: Is wood. Fibreglass is used for some very light and narrow racing punts. The sides, the ends, known as "huffs", and the "till" are normally made of hardwood such as mahogany . The treads are often made from teak . The bottom is made of softwood and may be replaced several times during the life of a particular boat. A traditional punt is about 24 feet (7.3 m) long and 3 feet (0.91 m) wide. The sides are about 18 inches (0.46 m) deep. Both

1750-467: The Carolingian monetary system ( £sd ), under which the largest unit was a pound (£) divisible into 20 shillings (s), each of 12 pence (d). The pre-decimal penny was demonetised on 1 September 1971, just over six months after decimalisation, and replaced (in effect) by the decimal half new penny , with + 1 ⁄ 2 p being worth 1.2 d . The kingdoms of England and Scotland were merged by

1820-807: The Cherwell and Isis in Oxford , the Avon in Stratford-on-Avon , and on the lower Thames near Sunbury . A small number of private punts are also registered on these rivers, specifically by the colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, and most often by those colleges that lie along the river. In June 2012, Norwich City Council gave the go-ahead to introduce punting on the River Wensum . Traditional River Thames pleasure punts were not introduced to Cambridge until about 1902–1904, but they rapidly became

1890-580: The Parys Mining Company on Anglesey issued huge numbers of tokens (although their acceptability was strictly limited). In 1797, the government authorised Matthew Boulton to strike copper pennies and twopences at his Soho Mint in Birmingham . At the time it was believed that the face value of a coin should correspond to the value of the material it was made from, so they had respectively to contain one or two pence worth of copper (for

1960-1154: The River Avon in Bath , the Great Stour in Canterbury , the Lancaster Canal from Lancaster , the River Avon in Stratford-upon-Avon , the River Nidd near Harrogate , the River Great Ouse at St Ives , and the Regent's Canal in London from Mile End Park . There is some punting on the River Wear in Durham and some of the colleges of Durham University own punts; however, small rowing boats are more popular and better suited to

2030-485: The bow and the stern are cut square, with a long shallow "swim"; this is to say, the underside of the boat slopes very gently at the front and the back. Both smaller and wider punts are made. Extra large and wide punts known as ferry punts may be seen in Cambridge, where many are used as water-borne tourist vehicles. Single seater Thames punts were normally made only 2 feet (61 cm) wide, and somewhat shorter than

2100-514: The planned French invasion of Britain in 1759, when a large-number of flat-bottomed boats were prepared by the French to ferry their invasion force across the channel and a number were destroyed during the British Raid on Le Havre . The flat-bottoms are mentioned in the song Heart of Oak written by David Garrick during 1759. This article about a specific civilian ship or boat is

2170-901: The 1707 Act of Union , to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . The exchange rate between £1 Scots and £1 sterling had been fixed at 12:1 since the Union of the Crowns in 1603, and in 1707 Scots currency ceased to be legal tender, with sterling to be used throughout Great Britain. The penny replaced the Scots shilling . The design and specifications of the sterling penny were unchanged by unification, and it continued to be minted in silver after 1707. Queen Anne's reign saw pennies minted in 1708, 1709, 1710 and 1713. These issues, however, were not for general circulation, instead being minted as Maundy money . The prohibitive cost of minting silver coins had meant

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2240-565: The 1950s and 1960s in proportion to the increase in motor boat traffic on English rivers, but has since increased again as the tourist industry has grown in England. Punting is a popular leisure activity on the rivers of several well-known tourist destinations: there are commercial organisations that offer punts for hire on the Avon in Bath , the Avon in Salisbury , the Cam in Cambridge ,

2310-478: The Deal galley punt, a square-sterned, lapstrake open-boat rigged with a single dipping lugsail, used for salvage and rescue work off a beach. In coastal communities, punt refers to any small clinker-built , open-stem, general-purpose boat. In Canada, the term punt refers to any small, flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, regardless of navigational purpose, building material, or means of propulsion. In Australia,

2380-483: The River Cam flows through the town in Cambridge, experienced punters follow the path of a gravel ridge that makes for easier punting. This ridge has a curious history. It is the remains of an old towpath built when the Cam was still used for commercial river traffic. The banks on either side of the river belong to various university colleges; faced with their combined opposition to a conventional towpath on one side or

2450-462: The Wear. Specifically, University College owns punts for the use of its students. On the Thames, punting is possible on most of the river above the tidal limit at Teddington ; even in places where the river is broad it is often surprisingly shallow, especially at the edges. Commercial punts have been available for hire near Sunbury-on-Thames in recent times, but most Thames punting is now confined to

2520-402: The bed of the river or lake. In the 1870s, when punting for pleasure first became popular, the normal approach was for the passengers to sit at the stern on cushions placed against the till, and for the punter to have the run of the rest of the boat. The punter started at the bow, planted the pole, and then walked towards the stern, shoving the punt forwards. This is known as "running" the punt. It

2590-428: The best way to learn is to start out in a boat with a competent punter to watch him or her at work. After this there is no substitute for extensive hands-on practice on different stretches of river. For racing punting it is best to join a club, and to work on one's balance. Some punt racers practise by punting in canoes . One of the keys to punting well is that the steering is done during the stroke, rather than by using

2660-410: The boat more stable in calm water, which is good for hunters and anglers . However this design becomes less stable in choppy water. This is because it causes the boat to travel on the water, instead of through it, as a boat with a rounded or V-shaped hull would. Flat hulls are simple to construct, making them popular with boat-building hobbyists . In Britain they came to popular notice during

2730-412: The bronze version of the penny were a mass of 9.45 g (0.333 oz) and a diameter of 30.86 mm (1.215 in), and remained as such for over a hundred years. Pennies were minted every year of Queen Victoria 's reign, and every year of Edward VII 's reign. George V pennies were produced every year to the same standard until 1922, but after a three-year gap in production the alloy composition

2800-457: The date 1797. By 1802, the production of privately issued provincial tokens had ceased. However, in the next ten years the intrinsic value of copper rose. The return of privately minted token coinage was evident by 1811 and endemic by 1812, as more and more of the government-issued copper coinage was melted down. The Royal Mint undertook a massive recoinage programme in 1816 , with large quantities of gold and silver coin being minted. To thwart

2870-607: The date 1967, until 1970). The 97% copper, 0.5% tin, 2.5% zinc alloy was used again for the 1960s pennies. Finally, there was an issue of proof quality coins dated 1970 produced to bid farewell to the denomination. Note: The mintage figures where "H" or "KN" follows the year relates to coins minted with that particular mint mark. "H" refers to the Heaton Mint , and "KN" to the King's Norton Mint, both of which were contracted to mint supplemental pennies on occasion. From 1825 to 1970

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2940-489: The early 1900s. The evidence indicates that pleasure punting initially started on the non-tidal Thames and quickly spread across the country. The first punting company (Scudamore's Punting Company) in the UK was founded in 1910. This company was bought out by a newer operation established in 1993 - who then changed their name to Scudamores and claim continuity with the older company. Pleasure punting declined across much of England in

3010-432: The end of the stroke helps to avoid falling in should the pole unexpectedly get stuck. When this happens, immediately attempt to twist the pole, and if this fails to free it rapidly, let it go and use the paddle to bring the punt back to it. Attempting to maintain a hold on a completely stuck pole is the most common cause of involuntary swimming as the punt will generally continue moving. More experienced punters steer during

3080-498: The end – the shoe is sometimes made in the shape of a swallow tail. Traditional wooden poles are preferred by many experienced punters; they are more sympathetic on the hands (at least when in good condition; a splintered surface is less so) and make less noise on contact with the river bottom or the punt compared with an aluminium pole. Aluminium poles are considerably cheaper and stronger, so may be preferred by punt stations offering punts for hire to inexperienced punters; however, it

3150-498: The foundation stones of new buildings; one of these coins was stolen when a church in Leeds was demolished in the 1960s, and its whereabouts is unknown. A few pennies of Edward VIII exist, dated 1937, but technically they are pattern coins i.e. coins produced for official approval, which it would probably have been due to receive about the time that the King abdicated . Pennies were not minted every year of George VI 's reign: None

3220-407: The further issuance of private token coinage, in 1817 an Act of Parliament was passed which forbade the manufacture of private token coinage under very severe penalties. Copper coins continued to be minted after 1797, through the reigns of George III , George IV and William IV , and the early reign of Queen Victoria . These later coins were smaller than the cartwheel pennies of 1797, and contained

3290-523: The large number of pennies in circulation there was no need to produce any more in the 1950s, however a large number of specimen sets were issued in 1953 for Elizabeth II's Coronation . At least one 1954 penny was struck, apparently for private internal purposes at the Royal Mint, but it was not until 1961 that there was a need for more pennies to be minted, and production continued each year until 1967, and afterwards (as pennies continued to be minted with

3360-450: The leading foot is placed to one side against the "knee" that is at, or just forward of, the centre of the boat, and does not move from that position; only the rear foot moves during the stroke. For pleasure punting the precise stance does not matter so much; it is more important that the punter remains relaxed and does not shove too hard. Two rather different traditions have grown up in Oxford and Cambridge: in Cambridge most punters stand on

3430-427: The likelihood of the pole becoming stuck; the lower position, longer footway and greater grip offered by the open end is advantageous on such occasions. Students at Oxford and Cambridge frequently proclaim that theirs is the only correct style, to the extent that the till end is often known as the "Cambridge End", and the other as the "Oxford End". Rivington recommends that the beginner should: The habit of relaxing at

3500-496: The most popular craft on the river, and today there are probably more punts on the Cam than on any other river in England. This is partly because the river is shallow and gravelly (at least along The Backs ) which makes it ideal for punting, but mainly because the Cam goes through the heart of Cambridge and passes close to many attractive college buildings. The popularity of punting beside the old colleges in Cambridge can produce significant congestion on this relatively narrow stretch of

3570-451: The mud can be mitigated by twisting the pole at the end of a stroke, before trying to pull it out. Punting on the Thames below Folly Bridge is often less enjoyable, mainly because of the competition from eights and sculls and motor boats ; punts are recommended to keep close in beside the towpath . The best punting to be had in Oxford is on the Isis alongside Port Meadow to the west of

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3640-411: The other drag their punts between the levels via a slipway with rollers. Tourists wishing to visit only one level can hire punts at the appropriate level to avoid the transfer, which requires about four average adults. Most punt hirers only allow use of their punts on one level, and do not allow use of the rollers with their punts. Except in the immediate vicinity of Magdalen Bridge , punting in Oxford

3710-525: The other, the river tradesmen were forced to build the towpath in the course of the stream, and to make the tow horses wade along it. The part of the Cam in Cambridge where punting normally occurs is separated into two levels by a weir at the Mill Pool near the University Centre. (Punting on the lower river below Jesus Lock is not normally allowed.) Punters wishing to move from one level to

3780-399: The pole as a paddle or rudder; steering in this way requires less physical effort if the punter stands in the centre of the boat (or at least as far forward as is compatible with not wetting the passengers). Once the punt is under way, it is easier to keep it in a straight line if the weight in the punt is all on the same side, to tilt the punt slightly and to form a keel. For racing, therefore,

3850-454: The public. The tradition in Cambridge is to punt from the till, locally known as the "deck", at the back of the punt. The advantages to this are that punters are less likely to drip on their passengers and can steer more easily by swinging the pole behind them, but it is not how Thames punts were traditionally propelled. Nor was the till originally designed for standing on; Cambridge-built punts are made with extra strong decks, and sometimes with

3920-408: The punt is moving quickly. This technique is more easily executed in shallow rivers. Racing punters tend to stand in the middle of the punt, because it is more efficient to do so. Indeed, many racing punts have cross braces with canvas covers both fore and aft, so it is only possible to stand in the middle. Pleasure punters may like to try punting from the middle, but it is probably advisable to remove

3990-403: The race. Races are always one punt against another, one having the inner lane and the other the outer lane. If the outer lane has consistently deeper water, then the length of the outer course may be reduced to make the race more even. The competitors usually start with their punts' sterns level with the line between the downstream ryepecks, punt to the upstream ryepecks, and then back. The winner

4060-408: The river during the peak tourist season, leading to frequent collisions between inexperienced punters. Further upstream, the river enters some particularly beautiful and tranquil countryside as it approaches the village of Grantchester . A popular summer pastime for Cambridge students is to punt to Grantchester and back, stopping for lunch in a pleasant Grantchester pub. The Cam, on its upper reaches,

4130-495: The seats and the passengers first. It is also possible to punt tandem , that is with two punters standing one behind another in the middle of the boat, and generally punting from the same side. Some punt races are organised for pairs punting tandem. I admit that it is better fun to punt than to be punted, and ... a desire to have all the fun is nine-tenths of the law of chivalry. The pleasure punts in use in England today were first built around 1860, becoming increasingly popular in

4200-436: The size of pennies had been reduced over the years, with the minting of silver pennies for general circulation being halted in 1660. The practice of minting pennies only for Maundy money continued through the reigns of George I and George II , and into that of George III . However, by George III's reign there was a shortage of pennies such that a great many merchants and mining companies issued their own copper tokens e.g.

4270-400: The stroke instead of using the pole as a rudder. To do this they stand further forward and keep to one side of the punt. To turn towards the side the punter is facing, the pole is thrown close to the punt and pulled towards the punter during the stroke (this is called "pinching" the punt); to turn the other way the pole is thrown slightly further out and the feet are pulled towards the pole (this

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4340-423: The term punt is used to refer to cable ferries . In Maine, Punt can be used interchangeably with dinghy . A traditional river punt is a wooden boat with no keel , stem , or sternpost , and is constructed like a ladder . The main structure consists of two side-panels connected by a series of cross-planks called "treads", which are 4 inches (10 cm) wide and spaced about 1 foot (30 cm) apart. Because

4410-407: The till (the flat end) and punt with the open end forward, while in Oxford they stand inside the boat and punt with the till forward. Since the rivers in both cities are narrow and often crowded, the opportunities for punting "at full pressure" are rare and these variations in stance are of little practical importance. However, the Oxford river bottoms are generally muddier than in Cambridge, increasing

4480-665: The town; this stretch of river is both shallow and gravelly, has attractive scenery, and is well supplied with pubs (such as The Trout Inn in Wolvercote where some of the Inspector Morse dramas were filmed). The tradition at Oxford is to punt from inside the boat rather than from on top of the till (or "box" as it tends to be called in Oxford) and to propel the punt with the till end facing forwards. The tradition dates from before 1880. Punting locations in England include

4550-408: The treads are normally fitted with gratings to allow the passengers to keep their feet dry. The seats are usually just a simple board fitting against blocks on the sides, with cushions . A punt can be punted with equal facility in either direction, so it is not obvious to the novice which end is the bow and which the stern; however, one end of the boat is strengthened with a short deck, usually called

4620-500: The usual sense, instead having very small tills at either end. The forerunners of pleasure punts, fishing punts, usually had an additional compartment, called a "well," which extended across the width of the punt a little way in front of the till. This compartment was made water-tight, and had holes in the bottom or sides so that it could be flooded with water. It was used for keeping any caught fish. A traditional punt has no tiller nor any provision for oars, sails, or motor; instead it

4690-401: Was changed to 95.5% copper, 3% tin and 1.5% zinc, although the weight and size remained unchanged (which was necessary because of the existence by then of large numbers of coin-operated amusement machines and public telephones). Thereafter, pennies were minted every year for the remainder of George V's reign, although only six or seven 1933 coins were minted, specifically for the king to lay under

4760-496: Was minted in 1941, 1942 and 1943. Pennies minted in 1950 and 1951 were for overseas use only. One 1952 penny, believed to be unique, was struck by the Royal Mint. The worldwide shortage of tin during the Second World War caused a change in the alloy in 1944 to 97% copper, 0.5% tin, 2.5% zinc, but this bronze tarnishes unattractively, and the original 95.5% copper, 3% tin, 1.5% zinc alloy was restored in 1945. Because of

4830-439: Was originally minted in silver, but from the late 18th century it was minted in copper, and then after 1860 in bronze. The plural of "penny" is " pence " (often added as an unstressed suffix) when referring to an amount of money, and "pennies" when referring to a number of coins. Thus 8 d is eightpence or eight pence, but "eight pennies" means specifically eight individual penny coins. Before Decimal Day in 1971, sterling used

4900-414: Was the normal technique used to move heavy fishing punts. As pleasure punts became lighter, it became more usual for the punter to stand still – normally towards the stern – while shoving. This is called "pricking" the punt. Pricking has the advantages that the punter is less likely to walk off the end of the punt inadvertently, and that more of the punt can be used to carry passengers. For pleasure punting,

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