Punting on the Cam (Scudamore's)
About
Cambridge's signature way of seeing the Backs: a flat-bottomed punt poled off the shallow riverbed, gliding past the lawns and bridges of King's, Clare, Trinity and St John's. Scudamore's, the city's longest-established punting company, runs from two stations, Mill Lane (Granta Place) near Silver Street bridge for trips downstream past the Backs, and Quayside near Magdalene Bridge for trips upstream towards Grantchester Meadows. Both chauffeured tours, with a guide poling and narrating, and self-hire punts for those who want to try poling themselves, are available; self-hire requires no experience but does require a sense of humour about getting wet. Chauffeured tours can be booked online in advance; self-hire and walk-up chauffeured trips are also possible at the stations depending on availability, especially on quieter days.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The Backs from the water: King's, Clare, Trinity and St John's in sequence
- ✓The Bridge of Sighs (St John's) and the Mathematical Bridge (Queens')
- ✓Chauffeured tours with a local guide poling and narrating
- ✓Self-hire punts for those who want to pole themselves
Tips
- →Book chauffeured tours online in advance for summer weekends and May Week; queues at the stations build fast in July and August.
- →The Mill Lane (Granta Place) station serves trips past the Backs; the Quayside station near Magdalene Bridge serves trips upstream towards Grantchester.
- →Self-hire is genuinely open to first-timers, but expect a wobbly first ten minutes; wear shoes you do not mind getting wet.
- →Punting pauses or shortens in high wind or heavy rain; check with the station on the day if conditions look poor.