Cambridge Bridges
You could be forgiven for thinking that punting along the river Cam is just about seeing the Cambridge colleges and hearing stories about student antics. However, to do that would be to ignore the 9 (yes nine!) Cambridge bridges that cross the river, dotted along the Backs. Admittedly, some of these bridges are more famous, more interesting, or just prettier than the others. We’re going to tell you about all of them, from one end of the river to the other (ok, not the whole of the river Cam, just the middle river, which is the bit that we punt along). *Warning – may contain spoilers* – you’ll almost certainly hear some of this information if you come on one of our Cambridge punt tours when you visit Cambridge, so look away now if you don’t want to know. Still here? Ok, settle in, this could be a long ride… (don’t worry though, there are lots of pictures). Magdalene Bridge First up we have Magdalene (pronounced maudlin) bridge. This road bridge is at one end (the start as far as we are concerned) of the Backs, on Magdalene street and next to the college of the same name. Not the most exciting bridge to look at: However, it is notable for: being on the site of (or very close to) the original crossing point over the river Cam on the Roman road that linked London (to the south) with the north and was part of an important trade route. The current, cast iron construction was built in 1892, designed by Arthur Browne, then rebuilt in 1982 Grade II listed building Having handy ridges underneath so you can pull yourself through whilst punting At one time […]