The first kilometre takes in 3 bridges. This is the view just after the first
bridge looking back over the fen at the University's oldest college, Peterhouse,
which was founded in 1284.
Grantchester Meadows are an idyllic place to relax with family and friends. If you do
picnic on the Meadows please remember to take all of your rubbish away with you; you
can dispose of it upon your return to our boatyard.
The second bridge follows almost immediately after the first. Fen Causeway Bridge is
the only road bridge on the top river. Beyond this lie peace and tranquility!
The Red Lion is ideally situated at the top of Grantchester Meadows, a few minutes' stroll from the river. The interior is spacious and relaxing, whilst the large garden to the rear is a good place to spend a warm summer's evening.
Priding itself on the quality of its homemade food, the Red Lion offers an extensive menu which include seasonal fresh seafood and game dishes.
The final bridge is a few hundred metres upriver from Fen Causeway. Just beyond this
the river forks to the right; this photograph shows the view looking downriver back at
the fork. Carry straight on and ignore the fork; it only leads to a dead-end.
With its timber beams and open fireplaces the early 16th century building which houses the Green Man pub retains a reassuringly traditional feel. By the entrance to the pub is the trunk of an oak tree said to be 400 years old oak. Out the back is a pleasant beer garden.
There is a good range of draught beers and the menu deftly mixes traditional pub fare with French-inspired dishes.
There is little to say about the wooded glade, beyond that it is one of the most
beautiful sections of the Top River and to warn punters to watch out for low branches!
The wooded section ends at a sharp left hand bend, known as Dead Man's Bend.
Experienced punters keep to the inside of the bend as the outside is deeper than the
length of a punt pole. Just beyond this a private garden backs onto the river; this
marks the halfway point and the start of the Meadows on the right hand side.
For many people a trip to Grantchester is incomplete without a stop at the Orchard.
Once favoured by Rupert Brooke and his friends this famous tea garden is open daily
for morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea.
The Meadows are not far from Cambridge, yet here you feel as though you are deep in the countryside.
The river ambles through the Meadows in a series of meanders before it finally turns
left into a long straight section. At the end of this section is a gate close to the
river's edge. At the top of the meadow is a wicket gate which leads to the Red Lion
and Green Man pubs. A few minutes' punt further on is a stile and a small landing
stage from which a path across the meadow leads to the Orchard.
Punters who venture beyond the Red Lion gate and Orchard stile, and go right at the river
fork, will come to Grantchester's attractive Mill Pond. You cannot punt beyond
this point due to a change of level at the mill race.
The clock of Grantchester Church owes its fame to Rupert Brooke's poem of 1912,
"The Old Vicarage". Disappointment awaits the visitor who expects to see the clock's
hands stuck at ten to three. Consolation is at hand, however, as the Orchard lays on
incomparable teas, with or without honey.
