89-607: Silver Street Bridge , officially known as Small Bridge is the sixth river Cam bridge overall and the second bridge on its middle stream in Cambridge . In 1959 the concrete bridge with the design by Sir Edwin Lutyens replaced an 1841 cast iron bridge. This article about a bridge in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . River Cam The River Cam ( / ˈ k æ m / )
178-450: 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
267-579: 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
356-532: 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
445-654: 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
534-682: 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
623-414: A maximum of eleven, had powers to mortgage the tolls, in order to raise capital for improvements to the river immediately. This they did, and built sluices at Jesus Green, Chesterton, Baits Bite and Clayhithe. Most of the tolls were collected at Clayhithe. Prior to 1722, Denver sluice had been destroyed, and although Cambridge Corporation opposed its reconstruction, it was rebuilt by 1750. The river entered
712-411: 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
801-401: 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
890-491: A period of steady profitability, with toll receipts rising from £432 in 1752 to over £1,000 by 1803. In 1835 they peaked at £1,995, and then declined slightly until 1846. The Convervators also raised some revenue from rents on the public houses which they owned adjacent to each of the sluices. Another Act of Parliament was obtained on 21 July 1813 which allowed the Conservators to alter the tolls and charge penalties, while
979-622: A person to operate them. The colleges and at least one private operator also own punts which are available for members of the public to travel on. Canoeing and kayaking , both recreational and competitive, are popular at all times of year, especially on the section above the Mill Pond towards Grantchester. Both Cambridge Canoe Club (on Sheep's Green ) and Cambridge University Canoe Club (just upstream from Newnham ) are based here. Powered boats may navigate as far upstream as La Mimosa restaurant (next to Jesus Green) all year round, and as far as
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#17327717706111068-412: 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
1157-669: 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
1246-753: A slipway from lower to upper level. From the Mill Pool and its weir, the river can be followed upstream through Grantchester meadows to the village of Grantchester and Byron's Pool, where it is fed by many streams. The two principal tributaries of the Cam are the Granta and the Rhee , though both are also known as the Cam. The Rhee begins just off the High Street ( Ashwell Springs ), at Ashwell in Hertfordshire . Running north out of Ashwell, it forms
1335-434: 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
1424-404: 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
1513-595: 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
1602-400: 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
1691-713: Is extant and the foundations of the mill can be seen when the water is low. Byron's Pool is named after the poet, Lord Byron , who is reputed to have swum there. It was certainly a bathing place for Rupert Brooke and the Cambridge neo-Pagans . Brooke used to canoe from Cambridge to lodgings in Grantchester, which included the Old Vicarage . His homesick poem of 1912 evokes the river: —" The Old Vicarage, Grantchester ", Collected Poems (1916) One of Brooke's contemporaries, Gwen Darwin , later Raverat, grew up in
1780-484: 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
1869-464: 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
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#17327717706111958-452: 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
2047-502: 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
2136-651: Is not murky and is clean enough from its source to its confluence with the Great Ouse to support fish. The fishing rights on the west bank are leased annually to the Cambridge Fish Preservation and Angling Society. The Cam below Bottisham Sluice may still hold burbot , a fish thought to be extinct in English waters since the early 1970s. The last known burbot caught in Britain was in 1969, on
2225-405: 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
2314-538: Is sometimes called the lower river. The stretch between Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock is much used for rowing . There are also many residential boats on this stretch, their occupants forming a community who call themselves the Camboaters. Navigation on the lowest section of the Cam, below and including Bottisham Lock, is the responsibility of the Environment Agency . The stretch above Jesus Lock
2403-417: Is sometimes known as the middle river (with the section above the Mill Pond being referred to as the upper river). Between Jesus Lock and the Mill Pond, it passes through the Backs below the walls of many of the colleges . This is the section of river most popular with tourists, with its picture-postcard views of elegant bridges, green lawns and graceful willows. This stretch also has the unusual feature of
2492-572: Is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England . After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the River Great Ouse to the south of Ely , at Pope's Corner. The total distance from Cambridge to the sea is about 40 mi (64 km) and is navigable for punts, small boats, and rowing craft. The Great Ouse also connects to England's canal system via the Middle Level Navigations and
2581-464: 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
2670-808: 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
2759-1092: 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
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2848-640: The River Nene . In total, the Cam runs for around 69 kilometres (43 mi) from its furthest source (near Debden in Essex ) to its confluence with the Great Ouse. The original name of the river was the Granta and (unusually) its present name derives from the city of Cambridge ( Old English : Grantebrycge ) rather than the other way around: After the city's present name developed in Middle English ,
2937-428: 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
3026-509: 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 ,
3115-656: The Association in 1643 regulated use of the river for trade, but the biggest change was the construction of Denver Sluice on the River Great Ouse, which reduced river levels on the lower river as tidal waters were excluded from the Ouse. Both the university and the Corporation of Cambridge complained to Parliament in 1697 that the trade route to the town from King's Lynn had been severely impaired. In 1699,
3204-410: The Cam at Byron's Pool. " The Reeve's Tale " from Geoffrey Chaucer 's Canterbury Tales begins: At Trumpyngtoun, nat fer fro Cantebrigge, Ther gooth a brook, and over that a brigge, Upon the whiche brook ther stant a melle; And this is verray sooth that I yow telle: A millere was ther dwellynge many a day. The mill formerly stood by Brasley Bridge on Grantchester Road. The mill pond
3293-639: The Cam, and in 2010 a fisherman reported spotting two in the Great Ouse. Above Hinxton and Great Chesterford the river holds a stock of wild brown trout, though it is also stocked by the Audley Fly Fishers club and other angling societies who own the rights. All boats require a navigation licence from either the Conservators of the River Cam or the Environment Agency. There are public moorings just below Jesus Lock on both sides of
3382-671: The City Council for holders of its long-term mooring permits. There are also some privately owned moorings. There is a public slipway next to the garden of the Green Dragon pub in Water Street, Chesterton . This is occasionally used for launching small boats. Punting is the most popular form of boating on the stretch of the river between Jesus Lock and Grantchester. Several of the colleges own punts, and they can also be hired from various companies, either with or without
3471-439: The Corporation sought to obtain an Act of Parliament which would allow them to improve the river from Clayhithe to Queens Mill at Cambridge. This was obtained on 27 February 1702 and created the Conservators of the River Cam, a legal body with authority to charge tolls for use of the river, which ranged from four shillings (20p) a ton for wine to one penny (0.4p) per person for passengers. The Conservators, of which there were
3560-480: 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,
3649-694: The Granta. On Ordnance Survey maps, the two main tributaries' alternative names are recognised: "River Cam or Granta" and "River Cam or Rhee". The Cam has no connection with the much smaller River Cam in Gloucestershire . An organisation called the Conservators of the River Cam was formed in 1702, charged with keeping the river navigable. The Conservators are responsible for the two locks in and north east of Cambridge: Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock. The stretch north (downstream) of Jesus Lock
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3738-618: The Mill Pool between 1 October and 31 March. The lower river between Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock is the training and racing home of the Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs ' university and college, and the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association 's town, rowing teams. The Cambridge Lent , May and Town Bumps rowing races, where boats set off at regular intervals, and the object is to catch and touch (that is, 'bump')
3827-554: The Rhee a mile south of Grantchester at Hauxton Junction. From source to its confluence with the Rhee it is 41.7 kilometres (25.9 mi) in length. A further tributary, also known as the Granta, runs 10 mi (16 km) from south of Haverhill to join the larger Granta south of Great Shelford . Another minor tributary is Bourn Brook which has its source near the village of Eltisley , 10 mi (16 km) west of Cambridge, running east through Caxton , Bourn and Toft to join
3916-426: 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
4005-471: The River Cam prior to the draining of the Fens . As the university colleges rose in importance, the course of the river through the town, known as the Backs, was moved further to the east to accommodate their new buildings. A report conducted in 1618 by Richard Atkyns highlighted the problems caused by sandbanks above Clayhithe and watermills obstructing navigation. An order made by the parliamentary Committee of
4094-474: The River Cam. The Cam is normally a placid river but flooding does occasionally happen. The most recent serious floods were in 2001, first in February and again on 22–23 October, and then in February 2009. The Environment Agency is responsible for managing water levels and issuing flood warnings for the entire river. Download coordinates as: Punt (boat) A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with
4183-489: The Roman Ermine Street , it crosses the avenue of Wimpole Hall and a few kilometres later it receives the waters of the minor River Mel that runs through Meldreth . It runs along the southern edge of the village of Barrington, where it still powers a water mill known as Bulbeck Mill. At Harston it passes Harston Mill, the site of a water mill from at least the 11th century until the need for mill died out in
4272-473: The South Level Act of 1827 created Commissioners who had responsibility for the river below Bottisham . This act also appointed the vice-chancellor of the university and the mayor as navigation commissioners. The Conservators built locks at Baits Bite and Bottisham, and removed the sluice at Chesterton. The river was sufficiently profitable that the Conservators were able to contribute £400 towards
4361-462: 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
4450-402: 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
4539-429: 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
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#17327717706114628-474: The boat in front, are held here. The Cam Sailing Club was founded in 1899. It is based at Clayhithe near Waterbeach and organises sailing races most weekends between March and November. Swimming on the upper river is popular in the summer, and people bathe at Grantchester Meadows all year round. Hardy bathers take part in the New Year's Day swim. Cambridge had been an inland port due to its location on
4717-784: The cost of rebuilding the Great Bridge, now called the Magdalene Bridge , in 1823, and a further £300 for the rebuilding of the Small Bridge, now Silver Street Bridge, in 1841. A year later they constructed a house at Clayhithe, which cost £880, and included a large room for meetings and banquets. Just three years later the Eastern Counties Railway reached Cambridge, and the navigation declined rapidly. Receipts dropped from £1,393 in 1846 to £367 in 1850, and were just £99 in 1898. Most commercial carrying on
4806-462: The county boundary between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire for around two kilometres, then the boundary between Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire for a further kilometre. At this point its course turns east and from here until it merges with the Granta it forms the parish boundary between a succession of villages, though until it reaches Barrington it remains at a distance of around a kilometre from any settlement of any size. Just after flowing under
4895-420: The downstream end. Jesus lock is manually operated, and has mitre gates at both ends. Boat sizes are restricted to 96.8 ft (29.5 m) by the length of Bottisham lock, and to 14 ft (4.3 m) by the width of Baits Bite lock. Jesus lock is only 9.7 ft (3.0 m) wide. The navigable lodes of Reach , Swaffham Bulbeck and Bottisham, the last of which is no longer navigable, can be reached from
4984-492: 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
5073-432: 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
5162-498: 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
5251-408: The flat-bottomed punts . Between 1 October and 31 March powered boats are allowed as far as Mill Pool, but few people take advantage of this, as there are very few public mooring places along the Backs, and the river is too narrow and the bridges too low to afford easy passing or turning for many boats. Punts and canoes can be manhandled around the weir above the Mill Pool by means of the rollers,
5340-461: The front of Audley End House , and is also joined by the stream known as Fulfen Slade. It then skirts the edges of a number of villages as it moves into Cambridgeshire, successively Littlebury , Little Chesterford , Great Chesterford , Ickleton , Hinxton , Duxford and Whittlesford , powering a number of water mills along the way. Forming the boundary between Great Shelford and Little Shelford , it turns west to flow past Hauxton to merge with
5429-485: The hills of Uttlesford , it turns north just west of the village of Henham . From there until Great Shelford it largely follows the course of the West Anglia Main Line railway. Its northward journey passes first through Newport , where it is joined by the streams known as Wicken Water and Debden Water. A couple of miles later it forms a picturesque addition to views of the stately home as it flows past
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#17327717706115518-436: The house at Clayhithe is now the residence of the foreman of the Conservators. The Conservators are still responsible for the river above Bottisham lock, while the lower river has been managed by the Environment Agency since its creation in 1995. The three locks are all of different sizes. Bottisham and Baits Bite locks are both fully automated, with a vertical guillotine gate at the upstream end and traditional mitre gates at
5607-451: 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
5696-428: 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
5785-440: The mid-20th century, and the parish church of All Saints. It then touches the eastern edge of the village of Haslingfield before joining the Granta at Hauxton Junction. From source to its confluence with the Granta it is 33.2 kilometres (20.6 mi) in length. The longer tributary, the Granta, starts in the parish of Debden to the east of the village of Widdington in Essex . After initially running south west to descend from
5874-497: 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
5963-452: 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
6052-772: The old mill by the Mill Pond. Her book, Period Piece , is a memoir of a childhood messing about on the river. The mill house is now part of Darwin College . Children's author Philippa Pearce , who lived in Great Shelford until her death in December 2006, featured the Cam in her books, most notably Minnow on the Say . The river is renamed the River Say, with Great and Little Shelford becoming Great and Little Barley, and Cambridge becoming "Castleford" (not to be confused with
6141-412: 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
6230-401: 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
6319-399: 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,
6408-454: 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
6497-408: 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
6586-403: 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
6675-486: The real town of the same name in West Yorkshire). River Cam is referred to as "Camus, reverend Sire" in line 103 of John Milton 's pastoral elegy Lycidas . Edward King , in whose memory the elegy was composed, was a fellow student at Cambridge. Like many rivers, the Cam is extensively used for several forms of recreational activity. These include angling, swimming and various kinds of boating. The water
6764-435: The remains of a submerged towpath : the riverside colleges did not permit barge horses on the Backs, so the beasts waded up the Cam to the mill pulling their loads behind them. Access for mechanically powered boats is prohibited above 'La Mimosa' Pub (at the upstream end of Jesus Green ) between 1 April and 30 September, when the middle and upper river are open only to manually propelled craft. The most common of these are
6853-494: The river and on the western bank just north of the bridge at Clayhithe (both with a maximum stay of 48 hours), and unofficial moorings on the railings adjoining Riverside in Cambridge (unlimited stay, but usually fully occupied) which are under review by Cambridge City Council and likely to be reduced to eight or nine formalised residential moorings, or removed altogether. The moorings on the commons in Cambridge (Jesus Green, Midsummer Common and Stourbridge Common) are reserved by
6942-409: 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,
7031-409: The river had stopped by World War I , although Banhams operated two steam tugs and three barges until the late 1930s, carrying gas water from Cambridge Gasworks to King's Lynn, where it was used in the manufacture of fertiliser. The last recorded passenger services had ceased nearly 100 years earlier, in 1839 and were started again in 2008 with the passenger vessel moored on Jesus Green. Traffic using
7120-460: The river today consists of private cruisers making the journey to Jesus Lock, with the section above Baits Bite lock regularly in use by the University rowing clubs, both for practice and for races. Motorised craft can navigate along the Backs in winter, but headroom is severely restricted. The Conservators of the River Cam now have an office in the former lock-keepers cottage at Baits Bite, while
7209-543: The river's name was backformed to match. This was not universally applied, however, and the upper stretch of the river continues to be informally known as the Granta . It has been said that the river is the "Granta" above the Silver Street Bridge (in Cambridge) and the "Cam" below it. The Rhee tributary is also formally known as the Cam, and the Granta has a tributary on its upper stretch also known as
7298-495: 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
7387-400: 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
7476-423: 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
7565-407: 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
7654-666: 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
7743-408: 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
7832-500: 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
7921-415: 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,
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