79-521: Castle Down is a windswept plateau of maritime heath in the northern part of the island of Tresco , Isles of Scilly . The area has a number of designations including Castle Down (Tresco) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI); is part of the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ; part of the Isles of Scilly Heritage Coast ; and part of Plantlife's Isles of Scilly Important Plant Area . The Castle Down Site of Special Scientific Interest
158-450: 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
237-518: A Dutch fleet arrived off the islands demanding reparations from Royalist privateers . The Dutch threat was countered by Admiral Robert Blake who captured the islands from the Royalists in June. The round tower of Cromwell's Castle ( grid reference SV881159 ), built on the site of a previous blockhouse , was completed the following year to guard the deep water approach to New Grimsby harbour. It
316-434: 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, the term punt is used to refer to cable ferries . In Maine, Punt can be used interchangeably with dinghy . A traditional river punt
395-415: A breeding colony of Common Tern ( Sterna hirundo ) and for its geology. The SSSI was first notified in 1971, re–notified in 1986 and covers most of the higher land and cliffs to the north of the inhabited area of the island. Due to the thin, low nutrient podzolic soils and exposure to salt laden winds the vegetation is pruned into a low growing, ankle height, heather carpet. Waved heath is so called because
474-532: 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
553-543: A direct descendant of Augustus Smith who, after his appointment as Lord Proprietor of the Scillies in 1834 and living on the island, began to create the Abbey Gardens on land which surrounded the old Priory. Punt (boat) 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
632-709: 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
711-483: A further twenty were transported to Tresco and released in Abbey Woods, near the Abbey Gardens . Tresco is considered to be a ″safe haven″ for the endangered mammal as it is free from predators such as foxes , and from grey squirrels and the squirrel pox they carry. In June 2014, an unknown number of baby squirrels have been pictured in the Abbey Gardens, proving the squirrels are successfully breeding. Among
790-682: 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
869-411: 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
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#1732787142381948-401: 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
1027-490: A sand dune system on the south coast. The forerunner of Natural England designated three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1971 and 1976. They are the Castle Down (Tresco) SSSI , Great Pool (Tresco) SSSI and Pentle Bay, Merrick and Round Islands SSSI . Castle Down is a SSSI for its waved maritime heath, its lichen flora , a breeding colony of Common Tern ( Sterna hirundo ) and for its geology . Great Pool
1106-404: 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
1185-498: Is a car-free island. Electric vehicles are used to transport overnight visitors to and from Tresco Heliport and from the various quays, and a few golf carts are available for disabled visitors. From Tresco Heliport , a year-round helicopter service connects Tresco to Penzance Heliport on the Cornish mainland. From 1983 to cessation in 2012, the service was operated by British International Helicopters . In 2020, helicopter service
1264-648: 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
1343-555: 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 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
1422-611: Is an SSSI because it is the largest area of fresh water in the islands and important for its breeding birds, and as a sheltering and feeding area for migrants. Pentle Bay is designated for the transition from a flora-rich sand dune system to lichen-rich heath. In October 2012, four male and one female Red Squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ), on permanent loan from the British Wildlife Centre, were transported to Tresco by helicopter. Only two survived, but in September 2013
1501-588: Is called Trescau (farm of elder-trees). By 1540 this has changed to Iniscaw (island of elder-trees). The island was named as Trescaw in an 1814 publication. The island is administered for the Crown by the Duchy of Cornwall and is leased to the Dorrien-Smith estate, which runs it as a timeshare business. The Dorrien-Smith family (descended from Augustus Smith ) held the position of Lord Proprietors of
1580-400: 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
1659-477: Is entirely owned by the Duchy of Cornwall . There are a number of Schedule Ancient Monument's ranging in age from Bronze Age cairns (or burial places) to castles built in the 16th and 17th centuries to protect the anchorage of New Grimsby harbour. There is a long history of human habitation with 66 cairns (usually burial sites) dating to the Bronze Age. In addition, within 100 m (328 ft) of
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#17327871423811738-474: Is found on the island, including rugged granite outcrops, heathland of the exposed north coast and mainly shell beaches in the east and south. The variety of its scenery and geomorphology is partly a result of the last ice age, when the Devensian ice sheet clipped the north side of the island, leaving deformation till deposits. The main settlements are New Grimsby and Old Grimsby in the central part of
1817-484: 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
1896-464: 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
1975-452: 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
2054-502: 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
2133-408: Is not functional, however, and there is no council or meeting . These figures include permanent residents only. A large number of seasonal staff also reside on the island during the summer. Unlike the other Scilly islands, Tresco is primarily run as a holiday resort, and virtually all activity and employment is tourist-related. On the other islands tourism is important, but does not dominate to
2212-518: Is one of the five civil parishes of the Isles of Scilly, which are also wards . The civil parish and ward covers much more than the island of Tresco: it includes uninhabited islands such as Samson (inhabited until 1855), Teän , St Helen's , Northwethel and Round Island . Tresco elects one councillor to the Council of the Isles of Scilly , the same as the other "off-island" wards. The civil parish
2291-405: 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
2370-464: 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
2449-860: 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
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2528-521: The Isles of Scilly . It is 297 ha (1.15 sq mi) in area, measuring about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) by 1.75 km (1.09 mi). In early times one group of islands was in the possession of a confederacy of hermits. King Henry I gave it to Tavistock Abbey which established a priory on Tresco; it was abolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries . The priory was given
2607-1158: 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
2686-485: 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
2765-408: The 1640s and ended by 1652 and was said to be of no value. Piper’s Hole is a deep cavern reached by scrambling down the north coast cliff. The cave consists of a 20 m (66 ft) long boulder–filled passage leading to an underground pool. With the arrival of tourism in the 19th century a punt was kept there and was used to take tourists to the inner chamber. Castle Down is the name given to
2844-565: 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 ,
2923-466: The Isles of Scilly. Peter and Myrtle Ashmore investigated Piper’s Hole in 1993 and amongst the cavernicolous fauna found a springtail new to Britain, Onychiurus argus , a troglophile species known from caves in Belgium , France and Spain . Tresco, Isles of Scilly Tresco ( Cornish : Enys Skaw , lit. 'island of elder-trees ') is the second-biggest island of
3002-483: 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
3081-666: The Scilly Islands between 1834 and 1920. From 2001 until 2009, the island hosted a marathon run organised to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, consisting of 7½ laps around the island. The event was always held on the same day as the London Marathon . Past winners include Dara O'Kearney and Bob Brown. It was replaced by a sprint triathlon. In 2007 a rebuild of the Abbey Farm/Shed area
3160-676: The Thames between 1860 and 1880. Some other boats have 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
3239-462: 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
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3318-402: 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
3397-429: 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
3476-553: 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 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
3555-530: The care of souls in the secular islands by the lord of the fief. In 1233, a prior here, known as Alan of Cornwall, was made Abbot of Tavistock . The original name for the island (including Bryher) was the Cornish : Ryn Tewyn , meaning "promontory of sand-dunes". In 1193, when the island was granted to the Abbot of Tavistock by Pope Celestine III , the island was known as St. Nicholas's island , and by 1305 it
3634-476: The cliffs between Cromwell’s Castle and Grimble Porth. The thin skeletal podzolic soils and extreme exposure to salt laden winds have led to the development of a wind–pruned, lichen–rich , “waved” maritime heath dominated by heather ( Calluna vulgaris ). The northern part of Tresco is designated as the Castle Down (Tresco) Site of Special Scientific Interest for its waved maritime heath, its lichen flora,
3713-492: 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
3792-432: 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
3871-498: 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
3950-576: The island. Combined, their facilities include a convenience store (with a post office sub-branch), an art gallery, a pub, and two café/restaurants, all of which are owned and run by the Tresco Estate. At the south of the island are the sub-tropical Tresco Abbey Gardens , including the Valhalla Figurehead Collection, and Tresco Heliport . To the north of New Grimsby are King Charles's Castle and Cromwell's Castle. Tresco
4029-544: The landward side. For a short time it was the main stronghold in the islands but was replaced by Star Castle on the Garrison , St Mary’s in the 1590s. It was later used as a quarry for the building of the nearby fort known as Cromwell’s Castle. The name, King Charle's, comes from the occupation by Royalist forces – the Parliamentarians took Tresco in 1651 by landing on the other side of the island. In March, 1651
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#17327871423814108-451: 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
4187-428: 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
4266-466: The many vagrant birds which have been found here, the following were firsts for Britain: The island also briefly hosted the second British record of Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias ) in April and May 2015, which also visited both Bryher and St Mary's during its 23-day stay. Because of its geography and history, Tresco has often featured in fiction, most notably in the books of author Sam Llewellyn ,
4345-497: 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
4424-452: 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
4503-477: The northern part of the island of Tresco and is a 35 m (115 ft) plateau of coarse–grained Hercynian granite . The southern edge of the Late Devensian ice sheet probably reached the northern islands of the Isles of Scilly about 18,000 years BP (before present) and there are glacial outwash gravels on the northern part of the downs with erratic pebbles . Raised beach deposits are exposed on
4582-412: 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
4661-526: 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
4740-718: The plants form ‘waves’. On the windward side of the plant there is bare ground and exposed roots with the leaves and flowers concentrated on the sheltered side. The heath is species poor with western gorse ( Ulex gallii ) and some bell heather ( Erica cinerea ), which becomes dominate on the southern side of the area. Other species found on the heath are common bird’s-foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ), English stonecrop ( Sedum anglicum ), heath bedstraw ( Galium saxatile ), lousewort ( Pedicularis sylvatica ) and tormentil ( Potentilla erecta ). Forty five species of lichen have been recorded including rare Heterodermia communities. The only European sites for H. propagulifera are in
4819-399: 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,
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#17327871423814898-454: 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
4977-408: 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
5056-403: 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
5135-469: 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 the Deal galley punt, a square-sterned, lapstrake open-boat rigged with a single dipping lugsail, used for salvage and rescue work off
5214-409: 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,
5293-647: The same extent. Five Islands Academy (previously Five Islands School) has its Tresco and Bryher Base, a primary campus in Tresco. Secondary pupils board at the St Mary's main campus, staying there on weekdays and coming back and forth to their home islands on weekends. Students at the sixth-form college level reside and board elsewhere, in mainland Great Britain. Previously the Learning and Skills Council paid for costs of accommodation for sixth-formers. Tresco
5372-495: 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
5451-513: The southern boundary of the SSSI, there is an Iron Age field system, associated hut circles and large middens covering 3 ha (7.4 acres). The huts are 5 m (16 ft) to 20 m (66 ft) apart and have diameters ranging from 5 m (16 ft) to 7 m (23 ft) while the middens are up to 11 m (36 ft) long, 10 m (33 ft) wide and 1 m (3.3 ft) high. ( grid reference SV 888156 ) The field system
5530-400: 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
5609-407: 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
5688-666: 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
5767-408: 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
5846-500: 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
5925-693: Was completed; this area served as RNAS Tresco , a seaplane base during the First World War. The development included rental cottages, a swimming pool and spa and the Flying Boat Bar & Bistro. In 2012 the Island Hotel was closed. Parts of the complex were converted into luxury holiday cottages; other parts of the hotel were demolished with new cottages built in its place. The Sea Garden Cottages now offer flexible accommodation with an on-site spa and tennis court. A variety of scenery
6004-440: Was resumed from a new Penzance Heliport to Tresco and St Mary's, operated by Penzance Helicopters. Tresco Boat Services run passenger boat services to and from the other inhabited islands, as well as occasional circular sightseeing tours. Tresco is unique amongst the off islands in that its habitat ranges from a windswept northern plateau with waved heath to sheltered bulb fields, wetland and lakes, to beautiful beaches backed by
6083-430: Was reused in the 19th century. The artillery fort on the highest point of the west side of Chapel Down, and now known as King Charles's Castle ( grid reference SV882161 ), was built between 1548 and 1554 in the reign of King Edward VI (1537–53). It was built to guard the northern, deep water approach, to New Grimsby harbour, although it proved to be badly sited to fire on ships below, or to withstand attack from
6162-415: 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,
6241-496: Was updated around 1740 with a platform built for cannon on the seaward side. In 1652 the Parliamentary Survey of Scilly reported a row of shallow pits and spoil heaps ( grid reference SV884164 ) following, in part the line of a tin lode . The pits were mostly 1.8 m (6 ft) to 2.4 m (8 ft) deep with some shafts to 7.3 m (24 ft). At the western end was an adit . The mining started in
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