I discovered a new love for Cambridge through a longstanding tradition

I couldn’t wait to try out this classic tourist activity for the first time

Punting is a longstanding tradition in Cambridge and is one of the things the city is most famous for, alongside the university. Although I work in Cambridge and live in the county, I have never actually been punting.

While on a visit to Cambridge to see a friend, I decided it was finally time to get on a punt and explore the sights from the water. Not wanting to risk this sunny Saturday in August being fully booked, I paid £39 to pre-book a time slot online.

At 1.30pm, we made our way down to the water and got onto the punt. As I sat down, it was a little unnerved at how close the water was to me. However, my nerves soon eased as we began our trip. Our guide told us she was going to give us a little bit of a history lesson on the sights as we passed them.

One building that particularly stood out to me was part of St John’s College. There was a wall almost completely covered in ivy, and the guide claimed this was a special type of ivy that couldn’t be cut by students. She said that it was so precious that if it covered the windows, it had to be left due to its rarity.

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One thing that made my friend and I laugh was some of the accommodation on offer to students at the university. The buildings being pointed out as accommodation seemed more like castles or grand mansions. They are worlds away from the tiny flats I lived in at Nottingham Trent when I was a student.

Although it was a bit more overcast on this day than it had been all week, I was actually quite glad. Being on the punt with no shade from the sun wouldn’t have been as enjoyable.

One of the best sights of the journey was seeing the Backs. I’d seen so many photos of the Backs, with King’s College Chapel in the background and beautiful greenery in front. It was just as beautiful in real life, and I’m so pleased I got to see it. As we went further down the river, we were joined by families of ducks and the odd swan swimming amongst the boats.

I felt so immersed in Cambridge tradition, and the quiet of the water made it such a relaxing tour. Coupled with a little tipple, it was a really lovely way to spend an afternoon in Cambridge.