River Cam

Description: Runs just over 14 miles, from Cambridge to the junction with the River Ouse at Popes Corner. There are also four navigable tributaries.

History: Promoted by Acts of 1702 and 1813.
For more details see the History page

Subordinate Waterways:

• Burwell Lode
• Reach Lode
• Swaffham Lode
• Wicken Lode

Navigation Authority: : Conservators of the River Cam, River Cam Conservancy Conservators House, Clayhithe, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 9JB : Telephone 01223 860484 :
Website http://www.camconservators.org.uk/

Jesus Lock, Cambridge

Related Articles

• The Great Ouse

• The Draining of the Fens by H C Darby , Published by Cambridge University Press 1968

• The Rivers Cam & Lower Great Ouse by Not known , Edition: Revised edition. ISBN 0 85288 222 X :31 pages, Published by Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson 1993 Large scale chart of the rivers in an A5 ring binder. Compiled together with the Great Ouse Boating Association. Order now from .

• Along the Cam and the Great Ouse with Briscoe Snelson by Peter Snelson , 112 pages, Published by Cambridgeshire Libraries Publications 1996 Photographs taken between the 1930s and 50s. Softback.

• Rivers to the Fens by Robert Simper , ISBN 0 9538506 0 9 :82 pages, Published by Creekside Publishing 2000 Inclides photographs and maps. Order now from .

• River Cam & Lower Great Ouse by Not known , ISBN 0 8528 8374 9 :Published by Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson 1996 Covers from Cambridge to Dever Sluice. Order now from .

• The Canals of Eastern England by John Boyes & Ronald Russell , ISBN 0 7153 7415 X :368 pages, Published by David & Charles 1 1977 Order now from .

• The River Great Ouse and the River Cam from Brackley to King's Lynn by Josephine Jeremiah , ISBN 1-86077-417-2 :Published by Phillimore & Co. 2006 The Great Ouse from source to sea with additional material covering some of the tributaries, including the cam and Little Ouse to Thetford. 178 illustrations. Order now from .

Related Videos

• The Great Ouse & River Cam Released in : 2005 1 hour 10 minutes approx., Produced by VideoActive A voyage from Denver to Bedford and up the Cam to Cambridge. Available DVD.

Related Photographs

• River Cam: Jesus Green Lock Boats moored at Cambridge

Related External Web Sites

• The Conservators of the River Cam :
• The Fens : Covers the fenland waterways from the Boston area to Cambridge.
• Narrowboat Zinfandel : Zinfandel is a 46-foot Sea Otter aluminium narrowboat, launched in 2003. Her home mooring is in Chesterton on the River Cam. She is available for hire by experienced boaters who will promise to treat her nicely.

Related Cruising Logs

• 2nd October 1994
• 11th October 1994
• 15th October 1994
• 5th April 1997
• 6th April 1997
• 12th April 1999
• 8th April 2003
• 9th April 2003

Other Related Pages

• My Holidays on Inland Waterways - Cruise XVII : The River Cam. By P Bonthron. First published 1916.
• Cruising Times

Lock Sizes and maximum craft dimensions: Length 100 foot, beam 14 foot. NOTE: For more details of maximum lock and craft sizes and the basis of these figures see Craft and Lock Sizes Page

River Cam: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Kings Mill, Cambridge	Cruisers should not go above Jesus Green Lock due to the volume of punt and rowed craft. Boat rollers at this point limit navigation.		0.0	0	U	TL445583	154
Jesus Green Lock			.8	1	N	TL450593	154
Chesterton Ferry			2.5	1	N	TL472601	154
Fen Ditton			3.5	1	N	TL481604	154
Baitsbite Lock No 2			4.6	2	N	TL486620	154
Horningsea			5.3	2	N	TL492627	154
Clayhythe Bridge	Waterbeach village half a mile north-west.		6.6	2	N	TL501644	154
Bottisham Lock No 3			7.6	2	N	TL508657	154
Bottisham Lode (unnavigable tributary)			7.8	2	N	TL510658	154
Junction with Swaffham Lode	Junction with Swaffham Lode		9.0	2	N	TL522672	154
Upware Junction	Junction with Burwell Lode		11.3	2	N	TL536700	154
Popes Corner	Junction with Old West River (Great Ouse)		14.4	2	N	TL535745	143

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

Reach Lode

Description: Runs from Reach Village to the junction with Burwell Lode.

Waterway Group: This waterway is part of the River Cam

Navigation Authority: : Conservators of the River Cam, River Cam Conservancy Conservators House, Clayhithe, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 9JB : Telephone 01223 860484 :
Website http://www.camconservators.org.uk/

Related Books

• The Canals of Eastern England by John Boyes & Ronald Russell , ISBN 0 7153 7415 X :368 pages, Published by David & Charles 1 1977 Order now from .

Reach Lode: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Reach Village	End of Navigation		0.0	0	U	TL565663	154
Pout Hall Junction	Junction with Burwell Lode		2.1	0	N	TL547693	154

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

Swaffham Lode

Description: A tributary of the Cam

Waterway Group: This waterway is part of the River Cam

Navigation Authority: : Environment Agency Recreation and Navigation, Region: Anglia Region, Kingfisher House, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough PE2 5ZR: Telephone 01733 371811 : Fax 01733 231840 :

Related Books

• The Canals of Eastern England by John Boyes & Ronald Russell , ISBN 0 7153 7415 X :368 pages, Published by David & Charles 1 1977 Order now from .

Swaffham Lode: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Junction with River Cam	Junction with River Cam		0.0	0	D	TL522672	154
Upper limit of navigation			2.0	0	D

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

Wicken Lode

Description: Runs from Wicken Fen to the junction with Burwell Lode.

Points of Interest: Wicken Fen and museum are owned by the National Trust and preserved as an example of un drained fen. Wicken Lode is shallow and navigation beyond its junction with Monks Lode is restricted to local inhabitants.

Waterway Group: This waterway is part of the River Cam

Navigation Authority: : Environment Agency Recreation and Navigation, Region: Anglia Region, Kingfisher House, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough PE2 5ZR: Telephone 01733 371811 : Fax 01733 231840 :

Related Books

• The Canals of Eastern England by John Boyes & Ronald Russell , ISBN 0 7153 7415 X :368 pages, Published by David & Charles 1 1977 Order now from .

Wicken Lode: Table of distances			Miles	Locks	Navigable (N)	Grid ref	OS Map No
Junction with Burwell Lode	Junction with Burwell Lode		0.0	0	N	TL542696	154
New River Drain			1.1	0	N	TL560701	154
Wicken Fen	National Trust Reserve		1.5	0	U	TL562704	154

NOTE: N and U in the Navigable column above indicates that the node is navigable or unnavigable. If a D appears here it means that navigation is difficult or restricted to smaller craft.

 

 

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.