Punting Along The River Cam In Cambridge

T he River Cam starts from                                           Ashwell, Hertfordshire and      Similar to other rivers, the Cam   moves northward towards         is used for several kinds of       Cambridge. It then flows into         recreational activities such as    Fens and then into Ely and King’s     punting. By taking a guided punt   Lynn where it joins the sea.          or by engaging in the activity on  During its early beginnings,          your own, you will definitely see  Cambridge relied on this river        a lot of the city of Cambridge     since it connects with King’s         since the river meanders through   Lynn, which used to be the            it. After punting, you may opt     busiest port in England. Through      for a quick stop on the            this river, goods traveled to         riverbanks for some rest and       Cambridge which contributed to        relaxation.                        its robust economy.                                                                                            A punt is basically a narrow boat  The most popular part of the          that is flat-bottomed. It bears a  River Cam is called The Backs,        resemblance to a Venetian gondola  which got its name from the           except that it has no curve. A     number of colleges that were          punt generally accommodates up to  constructed on the riverbanks. It     five persons with one of them      stretches for a mile and              standing at the rear of the punt   surrounding it are some of the        and propelling it using a long     finest architectural styles in        pole.                              all of England. Along it are nine                                        bridges and eight colleges,           The design of the punt was made    including King’s College and its      during the medieval period. It is  famous chapel, Queens’ College        ergonomic and allows for a smooth  and the Mathematical Bridge, and      navigation in waters with shallow  St. Johns and the Bridge of           parts. Before, punts were mainly   Sighs.                                used for commercial fishing but    now they are utilized only for        at it will probably not be as      recreation.                           successful. It might even seem                                           funny and be a source of           Punting may, at first, look very      entertainment for some onlookers   easy and effortless. For the          on the riverbanks. But don’t       passengers, it may be relaxing        fret. Getting the hang of it       since they can sit down, relax,       won’t take such a long time and    and enjoy the scenery. However,       you might even find yourself       the one who is steering may find      enjoying while still learning how  that punting is not as easy as it     to do it.                          looks. The pole may get stuck if                                         the bottom is particularly muddy.     Punting along the river cam is     If this happens, he/she should        among the most popular             just let go of the pole               attractions in Cambridge so make   especially is he/she is               sure that you include it in your   inexperienced at steering.            itinerary when you visit the       Otherwise, the person might just      city. If you’re not gutsy enough,  get tossed across the punt as         then you may get a guided punt.    he/she struggles to remove the        Punts may be rented at around £8   stuck pole.                           per hour at Magdalene Bridge,                                            Silver Street Bridge, Jesus        Unless you are remarkably skilled     Green, Mill Lane, Grantchester,    and possess an innate talent at       and Trinity College from Easter    punting, your first few attempts      to early October.                  About the Author: Steve is the owner of Hotels-Cambridge-Hotels.co.uk. For more options please visit: HotelsCambridge.org.uk | Hotel-Cambridge-Hotel.co.uk Published At: www.Isnare.com