Scudamores Punting Company, Cambridge

A punt is a square-ended boat which has a flat bottom with no keel and is usually propelled using a long pole. Punts were developed in Medieval times to provide stable craft which could be used in areas of water too shallow for rowing conventional craft.

One such area was the Fens, the marshy flatlands north of Cambridge, where punts were integral to local trades such as eel fishing and reed-cutting, until they died out in the late nineteenth century.

Punts were introduced to Cambridge as pleasure craft in Edwardian times. One of the pioneers of punt hire on the River Cam was F. Scudamore, who founded his business in 1910, quickly establishing punting as Cambridge's favourite pastime. Today, Scudamore's Punting Company owns the world's largest fleet of punts, with nearly 150 craft available for hire along two routes.

Punts today are usually 6 to 7 metres long and 1 to 2 metres wide. They should be propelled by means of a 5 metre long pole, which is also used to steer. This method of propulsion is known as "punting"; just using a paddle to move along doesn't count! Please see our punting technique page for a few insider tips.