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A – Z of Punting

An old stone building, walls overgrown with ivy.

Here’s a fun A-Z of punting by our chauffeur, Max. See if you can tick off the alphabet on your visit!

A is for Anchor

This is the pub once frequented by Pink Floyd, moreover where a few of their first live performances took place.

The Anchor pub, a white building on the riverfront.

B is for Benedict Spinola, the weird bust opposite Magdalene college.

The bust of Benedict Spinola, a peculiar head with a long nose and bulging eyes. The bust is cast in metal and appears to be emerging from the wall on which it's attached.

C is for Concussion Bridge, mind your head!

A punting boat passing under a low, arched bridge. The punting guide has to duck to pass under the bridge, hence its nickname, Concussion Bridge.

D is for Ducks. Soooo many ducks. Always hungry.

A duck paddling in the river.

E is for Erasmus Building, a rather controversial building.

A view from the river of the Erasmus building, a squat, square, brick building.

F is for Flood markers, seen on Concussion Bridge.

Flood markers carved into the stonework of a bridge, marking where the waters rose to on certain years.

G is for Garde Ta Foy, the latin phrase found near Magdalene.

H is for Heron, a rare but beautiful bird seen on the river.

A heron standing on the riverbank.

I is for Ivy, growing all over the back of The New Court.

An old stone building, walls overgrown with ivy.

J is for Jerwood Library, the library that announces itself.

The Jerwood Library, a brick and glass building with a peculiar tiered structure.

K is for King’s College Chapel, located at…well, King’s College.

A punting boat in front of the King's College Chapel, an impressive stone building, on a bright Summer's evening.

L is for Lover’s Lane, where couples go to…..kiss.

A sheltered section of the river, surrounded by stone walls and overhanging willow trees.

M is for Magdalene bridge, where the mythical Cam Bridge once stood.

A view from the river of Magdalene Bridge, an intricately detailed bridge, with pedestrians looking over the railings at the boats below.

N is for “No Mooring”, a sign on the river no one follows.

A wooden sign at the side of the river that reads 'No Mooring'.

O is for Oak trees, towering over the river.

P is for Pickerel, the oldest pub still around in Cambridge.

The Pickerel Inn, a small, old pub.

Q is for Quayside, where our punting tours begin.

A bustling street alongside the river, where punting boats are moored.

R is for River, it’s the thing punts are floating on….

A couple of people and their dogs in a punting boat, in front of a grand, stone building, part of St John's New Court.

S is for Self-hires, crashing into you with no rhyme or reason.

Two men sitting in a punting boat, being navigated by their punting guide beneath overhanging willow branches.

T is for Tourists, asking where’s the University Of Cambridge.

A confused-looking man searching for something, with the King's College buildings prominent in the background. A caption reads "Trying to find King's College is hard..."

U is for Undergraduates, watching the punts go by.

Three young adults sitting on steps outdoors, smiling and looking at a laptop.

Photo by Buro Millennial

V is for Varsity, a word you’ll see all over the University.

A view from a narrow alleyway leading out to the river. There are signs on the alley's wall pointing in the direction of The Varsity and The River Bar.

W is for Water. It’s what rivers are made of…..

A close-up of the river, showing a distorted reflection of a stone building on the bank.

X is for Xenomania; the pleasure of meeting strangers.

Y is for Yales, seen on two pillars at St. John’s

A blurry image of two Yale statues on columns. Yales are mythical goat-like creatures with large horns.

And finally,

Z is for zephyr, the gentle breeze you feel while punting down the river

Image not available

So the next time you go punting with us, see how many of these things you spot (or in the case of X & Z, experience).

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