Editing River Cam

{{short description|Tributary of the River Great Ouse}}
{{About|the river in Cambridgeshire|other rivers of the same name|River Cam (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Cam
| name_native        = 
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<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Clare Bridge 2003.jpg
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = View north towards [[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare College]] bridge in [[Cambridge]]
| map                = 
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| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 8
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[England]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| subdivision_type3  = County
| subdivision_name3  = [[Cambridgeshire]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
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<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length_km = 69.4
| width_min          = 
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<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = 
| source1_location   = south of [[Debden, Uttlesford|Debden]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|51.9602|0.2718|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|112|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[River Great Ouse]]
| mouth_location     = east of [[Stretham]]
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|52.3483|0.2525|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|2|m|abbr=on}}
| progression        = 
| river_system       = [[River Great Ouse]]
| basin_size         = 
| tributaries_left   = [[Bourn Brook, Cambridgeshire|Bourn Brook]]
| tributaries_right  = 
| custom_label       = 
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}}

The '''River Cam''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|æ|m}}) is the main river flowing through [[Cambridge]] in eastern [[England]]. After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the [[River Great Ouse]] to the south of [[Ely, Cambridgeshire|Ely]], at Pope's Corner. The total distance from [[Cambridge]] to the sea is about {{convert|40|mi|abbr=on}} and is navigable for punts, small boats, and rowing craft. The Great Ouse also connects to [[Canals of the United Kingdom|England's canal system]] via the [[Middle Level Navigations]] and the [[River Nene]]. In total, the Cam runs for around {{convert|69|km|mi}} from its furthest source (near [[Debden, Uttlesford|Debden]] in [[Essex]]) to its confluence with the Great Ouse.

==Name==
The original name of the river was the ''Granta'' and (unusually) its present name derives from the city of Cambridge ({{langx|ang|Grantebrycge}}) rather than the other way around: After the city's present name developed in [[Middle English]], the river's name was [[back formation|backformed]] to match. This was not universally applied, however, and the upper stretch of the river continues to be informally known as the [[Granta (river)|Granta]]. It has been said<ref name=stubbings>''Bedders, Bulldogs and Bedells: A Cambridge Glossary'', (1995), Frank Stubbings, Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-5214-7978-3}}, p. 19</ref> that the river is the "Granta" above the [[Silver Street, Cambridge|Silver Street Bridge]]{{ref|map 11|map 11}} (in Cambridge) and the "Cam" below it. The Rhee tributary is also formally known as the Cam,<ref name=os>Ordnance Survey of Great Britain. 1:25000</ref>{{dubious|date=December 2014}} and the Granta has a tributary on its upper stretch also known as the Granta. On Ordnance Survey maps, the two main tributaries' alternative names are recognised: "River Cam or Granta" and "River Cam or Rhee".

The Cam has no connection with the much smaller [[River Cam, Gloucestershire|River Cam]] in [[Gloucestershire]].

==The lower river==
[[File:May Bumps 2005 Day2.jpg|thumb|A [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge|Caius]] eight on the lower river about to be "bumped" by [[First and Third Trinity Boat Club|1st & 3rd Trinity]] during the [[May Bumps]] rowing races 2005]]
An organisation called the [[Conservators of the River Cam]] was formed in 1702, charged with keeping the river navigable. The Conservators are responsible for the two [[Lock (water transport)|lock]]s in and north east of Cambridge: [[Jesus Lock]]{{ref|map 7|map 7}} and Baits Bite Lock.{{ref|map 3|map 3}} The stretch north (downstream) of Jesus Lock is sometimes called the lower river. [[File:The River Cam from the Green Dragon Bridge.jpg|thumb|The River Cam flowing past Stourbridge Common]]

The stretch between Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock is much used for [[River Cam#Rowing|rowing]]. There are also many residential boats on this stretch, their occupants forming a community who call themselves the Camboaters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camboaters.co.uk/aboutus/|title=Camboaters Community Association|website=camboaters.co.uk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422152114/http://www.camboaters.co.uk/aboutus/|archive-date=22 April 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Navigation on the lowest section of the Cam, below and including Bottisham Lock,{{ref|map 2|map 2}} is the responsibility of the [[Environment Agency]].<ref>[http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/boating/31567.aspx Environment Agency - River Great Ouse] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627133336/http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/boating/31567.aspx |date=27 June 2009 }}</ref>

==From Jesus Lock and the Backs to Grantchester (middle and upper river)==
[[File:KingsCollegeChapelWest.jpg|thumb|left|[[The Backs]] in Cambridge: [[King's College Chapel]] (centre) and [[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare College]] (left)]]
The stretch above Jesus Lock is sometimes known as the middle river (with the section above the Mill Pond being referred to as the upper river).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.camconservators.co.uk/notices.asp |title=Cam conservancy notices |access-date=20 September 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218171252/http://www.camconservators.co.uk/notices.asp |archive-date=18 December 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Between Jesus Lock and the Mill Pond,{{ref|map 12|map 12}} it passes through [[the Backs]]{{ref|map 10|map 10}} below the walls of many of [[List of colleges of the University of Cambridge|the colleges]]. This is the section of river most popular with tourists, with its picture-postcard views of elegant bridges, green lawns and graceful willows. This stretch also has the unusual feature of the remains of a [[Punt (boat)#The Cambridge towpath|submerged towpath]]: the riverside colleges did not permit [[Horse-drawn boat|barge horses]] on the Backs, so the beasts waded up the Cam to the mill pulling their loads behind them.

Access for mechanically powered boats is prohibited above 'La Mimosa' Pub (at the upstream end{{ref|map 8|map 8}} of [[Jesus Green]]{{ref|map 6|map 6}}) between 1 April and 30 September, when the middle and upper river are open only to manually propelled craft. The most common of these are the flat-bottomed [[punt (boat)|punt]]s.

Between 1 October and 31 March powered boats are allowed as far as Mill Pool, but few people take advantage of this, as there are very few public mooring places along the Backs, and the river is too narrow and the bridges too low to afford easy passing or turning for many boats.

[[File:Cam punt slipway.jpg|thumb|A punt being pulled up rollers on the slipway between the upper and lower levels of the River Cam near the Mill Pool.]]
Punts and canoes can be manhandled around the [[weir]] above the Mill Pool by means of the rollers, a slipway from lower to upper level. From the Mill Pool and its weir, the river can be followed upstream through Grantchester meadows to the village of [[Grantchester]]{{ref|map 14|map 14}} and Byron's Pool,{{ref|map 15|map 15}} where it is fed by many streams.

==Tributaries==
The two principal tributaries of the Cam are the '''[[River Granta|Granta]]''' and the '''Rhee''', though both are also known as the Cam.<ref name=os/>

===Rhee===
The Rhee begins just off the High Street ([[Ashwell Springs]]), at [[Ashwell, Hertfordshire|Ashwell]] in [[Hertfordshire]]. Running north out of Ashwell, it forms the county boundary between [[Bedfordshire]] and Hertfordshire for around two kilometres, then the boundary between Bedfordshire and [[Cambridgeshire]] for a further kilometre. At this point its course turns east and from here until it merges with the Granta it forms the parish boundary between a succession of villages, though until it reaches [[Barrington, Cambridgeshire|Barrington]] it remains at a distance of around a kilometre from any settlement of any size.<ref name=os/>

Just after flowing under the Roman [[Ermine Street]], it crosses the avenue of [[Wimpole Hall]] and a few kilometres later it receives the waters of the minor River Mel that runs through [[Meldreth]]. It runs along the southern edge of the village of Barrington, where it still powers a water mill known as Bulbeck Mill. At [[Harston]] it passes Harston Mill, the site of a water mill from at least the 11th century until the need for mill died out in the mid-20th century, and the parish church of All Saints.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harstonhistory.org.uk/content/topics/industries/water-milling|title=Water Milling|publisher=Harston History|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201210746/http://www.harstonhistory.org.uk/content/topics/industries/water-milling|archive-date=1 December 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It then touches the eastern edge of the village of [[Haslingfield]] before joining the Granta at Hauxton Junction.<ref name=os/> From source to its confluence with the Granta it is {{convert|33.2|km|mi}} in length.

===Granta===
{{main|River Granta}}
The longer tributary, the Granta, starts in the parish of [[Debden, Uttlesford|Debden]] to the east of the village of Widdington in [[Essex]]. After initially running south west to descend from the hills of [[Uttlesford]], it turns north just west of the village of [[Henham]]. From there until [[Great Shelford]] it largely follows the course of the [[West Anglia Main Line]] railway. Its northward journey passes first through [[Newport, Essex|Newport]], where it is joined by the streams known as Wicken Water and Debden Water. A couple of miles later it forms a picturesque addition to views of the stately home as it flows past the front of [[Audley End House]], and is also joined by the stream known as Fulfen Slade. It then skirts the edges of a number of villages as it moves into Cambridgeshire, successively [[Littlebury]], [[Little Chesterford]], [[Great Chesterford]], [[Ickleton]], [[Hinxton]], [[Duxford]] and [[Whittlesford]], powering a number of water mills along the way. Forming the boundary between [[Great Shelford]] and [[Little Shelford]], it turns west to flow past [[Hauxton]] to merge with the Rhee a mile south of Grantchester at Hauxton Junction.<ref name=os/> From source to its confluence with the Rhee it is {{convert|41.7|km|mi}} in length.

===Other tributaries===
A further tributary, also known as the Granta, runs {{convert|10|mi|abbr=on}} from south of [[Haverhill, Suffolk|Haverhill]] to join the larger Granta south of [[Great Shelford]]. Another minor tributary is [[Bourn Brook, Cambridgeshire|Bourn Brook]] which has its source near the village of [[Eltisley]], {{convert|10|mi|abbr=on}} west of Cambridge, running east through [[Caxton, Cambridgeshire|Caxton]], [[Bourn]] and [[Toft, Cambridgeshire|Toft]] to join the Cam at Byron's Pool.

==Literature==
"[[The Reeve's Tale]]" from [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s ''[[The Canterbury Tales|Canterbury Tales]]'' begins:

{{poemquote
|text=:At Trumpyngtoun, nat fer fro Cantebrigge,
:Ther gooth a brook, and over that a brigge,
:Upon the whiche brook ther stant a melle;
:And this is verray sooth that I yow telle:
:A millere was ther dwellynge many a day.
}}

The mill formerly stood by Brasley Bridge on Grantchester Road. The mill pond is extant and the foundations of the mill can be seen when the water is low.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trumpingtonlocalhistorygroup.org/subjects_reminiscences_Dring3.html|author=W. E. Dring|title=Grantchester Road, Byron's Pool and the River Cam|year=1974|publisher=Trumpington Local History Group|access-date=29 September 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130201647/http://www.trumpingtonlocalhistorygroup.org/subjects_reminiscences_Dring3.html|archive-date=30 January 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Byron's Pool is named after the poet, [[Lord Byron]], who is reputed to have swum there. It was certainly a bathing place for [[Rupert Brooke]] and the Cambridge [[neo-Pagan (literature)|neo-Pagan]]s. Brooke used to canoe from Cambridge to lodgings in Grantchester, which included the [[Old Vicarage, Grantchester|Old Vicarage]]. His homesick poem of 1912 evokes the river:

: Oh! there the chestnuts, summer through,
: Beside the river make for you
: A tunnel of green gloom, and sleep
: Deeply above; and green and deep
: The stream mysterious glides beneath,
: Green as a dream and deep as death.
: ...
: To smell the thrilling-sweet and rotten
: Unforgettable, unforgotten
: River-smell, and hear the breeze
: Sobbing in the little trees.
: Say, do the elm-clumps greatly stand
: Still guardians of that holy land?
: The chestnuts shade, in reverend dream,
: The yet unacademic stream?
—"[[The Old Vicarage, Grantchester]]", ''Collected Poems'' (1916)<ref>{{gutenberg|no=262|name=The Collected Poems of Rupert Brooke}}</ref>

One of Brooke's contemporaries, [[Gwen Raverat|Gwen Darwin]], later Raverat, grew up in the old mill by the Mill Pond. Her book, ''[[Period Piece (book)|Period Piece]]'', is a memoir of a childhood messing about on the river. The mill house is now part of [[Darwin College, Cambridge|Darwin College]].
{{Wide image|Darwin college.jpg|1000px|Darwin College seen across the Mill Pond}}
Children's author [[Philippa Pearce]], who lived in Great Shelford until her death in December 2006, featured the Cam in her books, most notably ''[[Minnow on the Say (novel)|Minnow on the Say]]''. The river is renamed the River Say, with Great and Little Shelford becoming Great and Little Barley, and Cambridge becoming "Castleford" (not to be confused with the real town of the same name in West Yorkshire).

River Cam is referred to as "Camus, reverend Sire" in line 103 of [[John Milton]]'s [[pastoral]] [[elegy]] ''[[Lycidas]]''. [[Edward King (British poet)|Edward King]], in whose memory the elegy was composed, was a fellow student at Cambridge.

==Use for recreation==
[[File:Mathematical Bridge from Silver Street.jpg|thumb|Mathematical Bridge connects [[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens’ College]] with the President's Lodge at [[Cambridge]].]]
[[File:cam-ouse 19.3.05.jpg|thumb|left|The confluence of the Cam (left) and the Great Ouse at Pope's Corner]]Like many rivers, the Cam is extensively used for several forms of recreational activity. These include angling, swimming and various kinds of boating.
[[File:Suicide Sunday 2012 cardboard boat race.jpg|thumb|Some participants of the annual [[cardboard boat race]] on [[Suicide Sunday]] 2012.]]

===Angling===
The water is not murky and is clean enough from its source to its confluence with the Great Ouse to support fish. The fishing rights on the west bank are leased annually to the Cambridge Fish Preservation and Angling Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camconservators.co.uk/fishing.html|title=Conservators of the River Cam|website=Conservators of the River Cam|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614162627/http://www.camconservators.co.uk/fishing.html|archive-date=14 June 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The Cam below Bottisham Sluice may still hold [[burbot]], a fish thought to be extinct in English waters since the early 1970s.<ref>[http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=423 UK Biodiversity Action Plan, ''Burbot''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028110819/http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=423 |date=28 October 2007 }}, accessed 10 January 2009</ref> The last known burbot caught in Britain was in 1969, on the Cam, and in 2010 a fisherman reported spotting two in the Great Ouse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/News--Catches/General-News/July-2010/Extinct-burbot-spotted-in-River-Eden-and-Great-Ouse/|title='Extinct' burbot spotted in River Eden and Great Ouse|website=gofishing.co.uk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308115722/http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/News--Catches/General-News/July-2010/Extinct-burbot-spotted-in-River-Eden-and-Great-Ouse/|archive-date=8 March 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Above Hinxton and Great Chesterford the river holds a stock of wild brown trout, though it is also stocked by the Audley Fly Fishers club and other angling societies who own the rights.

===Boating===
All boats require a navigation licence<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.camconservators.co.uk/registration.html|title=Conservators of the River Cam|website=Conservators of the River Cam|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607142839/http://www.camconservators.co.uk/registration.html|archive-date=7 June 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> from either the Conservators of the River Cam or the Environment Agency.

There are public moorings just below Jesus Lock on both sides of the river and on the western bank just north of the bridge at Clayhithe (both with a maximum stay of 48 hours), and unofficial moorings on the railings adjoining Riverside in Cambridge (unlimited stay, but usually fully occupied) which are under review by [[Cambridge City Council]] and likely to be reduced to eight or nine formalised residential moorings, or removed altogether.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/documents/s25013/Update%20on%20Riverside%20Moorings%20-%20Final.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-07-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035153/http://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/documents/s25013/Update%20on%20Riverside%20Moorings%20-%20Final.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The moorings on the commons in Cambridge (Jesus Green, [[Midsummer Common]]{{ref|map 5|map 5}} and Stourbridge Common) are reserved by the City Council for holders of its long-term mooring permits. There are also some privately owned moorings.

There is a public [[slipway]] next to the garden of the Green Dragon pub in Water Street, [[Chesterton, Cambridge|Chesterton]].{{ref|map 4|map 4}} This is occasionally used for launching small boats.

====Punting====
[[File:Cambridge Olympic torch on punt.jpg|thumb|The Olympic torch punted down the Cam during the [[2012 Summer Olympics torch relay]] ]]
[[Punt (boat)#Punting in Cambridge|Punting]] is the most popular form of boating on the stretch of the river between Jesus Lock and Grantchester. Several of the colleges own punts, and they can also be hired from various companies, either with or without a person to operate them. The colleges and at least one private operator also own punts which are available for members of the public to travel on.

====Canoeing====
[[Canoeing]] and [[kayaking]], both recreational and competitive, are popular at all times of year, especially on the section above the Mill Pond towards Grantchester. Both Cambridge Canoe Club (on [[Coe Fen|Sheep's Green]]{{ref|map 13|map 13}}) and Cambridge University Canoe Club (just upstream from [[Newnham, Cambridgeshire|Newnham]]) are based here.

====Powered boating====
Powered boats may navigate as far upstream as La Mimosa restaurant (next to Jesus Green) all year round, and as far as the Mill Pool between 1 October and 31 March.<ref>See official guidance note: {{cite web |url=http://media.wix.com/ugd/79067b_54a28aa23ea14549ad8c8888eacc1d44.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-11-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114913/http://media.wix.com/ugd/79067b_54a28aa23ea14549ad8c8888eacc1d44.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

====Rowing====
The lower river between Jesus Lock and Baits Bite Lock is the training and racing home of the [[Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs]]' university and college, and the [[Cambridgeshire Rowing Association]]'s town, rowing teams. The Cambridge [[Lent Bumps|Lent]], [[May Bumps|May]] and Town [[Bumps race|Bumps]] rowing races, where boats set off at regular intervals, and the object is to catch and touch (that is, 'bump') the boat in front, are held here.<ref name=blair/>

====Sailing====
The Cam Sailing Club was founded in 1899. It is based at Clayhithe near [[Waterbeach]] and organises sailing races most weekends between March and November.<ref>[http://www.cam.net.uk/~aaa049/ Cam Sailing Club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517182848/http://www.cam.net.uk/~aaa049/ |date=17 May 2008 }}</ref>

===Swimming===
[[File:River Cam Swimming 4 Aug 08.jpg|thumb|Swimming in the River Cam near Grantchester Meadows]]
Swimming on the upper reaches, between Byron's Pool and King's Mill Weir, is popular in the summer, and people bathe at Grantchester Meadows all year round. Hardy bathers take part in the New Year's Day swim.

==Navigation==
{{River Cam map}}
Cambridge had been an [[inland port]] due to its location on the River Cam prior to the draining of [[the Fens]]. As the university colleges rose in importance, the course of the river through the town, known as the Backs, was moved further to the east to accommodate their new buildings. A report conducted in 1618 by Richard Atkyns highlighted the problems caused by sandbanks above Clayhithe and [[watermill]]s obstructing navigation. An order made by the parliamentary committee of the association in 1643 regulated use of the river for trade, but the biggest change was the construction of [[Denver, Norfolk|Denver Sluice]] on the River Great Ouse, which reduced river levels on the lower river as tidal waters were excluded from the Ouse. Both the university and the Corporation of Cambridge complained to Parliament in 1697 that the trade route to the town from [[King's Lynn]] had been severely impaired.<ref name=boyes>''The Canals of Eastern England'', (1977), John Boyes and Ronald Russell, David and Charles, {{ISBN|978-0-7153-7415-3}}</ref>

In 1699, the corporation sought to obtain an [[act of Parliament]]{{which|date=January 2025}} which would allow them to improve the river from Clayhithe to Queens Mill at Cambridge.<ref name=boyes/> The [[River Cam Navigation Act 1702]] ([[1 Ann. St. 2]]. c. 11) was obtained on 27 February 1702<ref name=priestley>[http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/sdoc.php?wpage=PNRC0139#PNRC129 Joseph Priestley, (1831), ''Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215034107/http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/sdoc.php?wpage=PNRC0139 |date=15 December 2007 }}</ref> and created the Conservators of the River Cam, a legal body with authority to charge tolls for use of the river, which ranged from four [[Shilling (British coin)|shillings]] (20p) a ton for wine to one [[Penny (English coin)|penny]] (0.4p) per person for passengers. The conservators, of which there were a maximum of eleven, had powers to mortgage the tolls, in order to raise capital for improvements to the river immediately. This they did, and built sluices at Jesus Green, Chesterton, Baits Bite and Clayhithe. Most of the tolls were collected at Clayhithe.<ref name=boyes/>

Prior to 1722, Denver sluice had been destroyed, and although Cambridge Corporation opposed its reconstruction, it was rebuilt by 1750. The river entered a period of steady profitability, with toll receipts rising from £432 in 1752 to over £1,000 by 1803. In 1835 they peaked at £1,995, and then declined slightly until 1846. The conservators also raised some revenue from rents on the public houses which they owned adjacent to each of the sluices.<ref name=boyes/> Another act of Parliament, the [[River Cam Navigation Act 1813]] ([[53 Geo. 3]]. c. ccxiv), was obtained on 21 July 1813<ref name=priestley/> which allowed the Conservators to alter the tolls and charge penalties, while the [[South Level Act 1827]] ([[7 & 8 Geo. 4]]. c. xlvii) created Commissioners who had responsibility for the river below [[Bottisham]]. This act also appointed the [[List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge|vice-chancellor of the university]] and the mayor as navigation commissioners. The conservators built locks at Baits Bite and Bottisham, and removed the sluice at Chesterton.<ref name=boyes/>

The river was sufficiently profitable that the conservators were able to contribute £400 towards the cost of rebuilding the Great Bridge, now called the [[Magdalene Bridge]],{{ref|map 9|map 9}} in 1823, and a further £300 for the rebuilding of the Small Bridge, now Silver Street Bridge, in 1841. A year later they constructed a house at Clayhithe, which cost £880, and included a large room for meetings and banquets. Just three years later the [[Eastern Counties Railway]] reached Cambridge, and the navigation declined rapidly. Receipts dropped from £1,393 in 1846 to £367 in 1850, and were just £99 in 1898. Most commercial carrying on the river had stopped by [[World War I]], although Banhams operated two steam tugs and three barges until the late 1930s, carrying gas water from Cambridge Gasworks to King's Lynn, where it was used in the manufacture of fertiliser. The last recorded passenger services had ceased nearly 100 years earlier, in 1839 and were started again in 2008 with the passenger vessel moored on Jesus Green.<ref name=boyes/>

Traffic using the river today consists of private cruisers making the journey to Jesus Lock, with the section above Baits Bite lock regularly in use by the University rowing clubs, both for practice and for races. Motorised craft can navigate along the Backs in winter, but headroom is severely restricted. The Conservators of the River Cam now have an office in the former lock-keepers cottage at Baits Bite, while the house at Clayhithe is now the residence of the foreman of the conservators. The conservators are still responsible for the river above Bottisham lock, while the lower river has been managed by the [[Environment Agency]] since its creation in 1995.<ref name=blair>''The River Great Ouse and tributaries'', (2006), Andrew Hunter Blair, Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson, {{ISBN|978-0-85288-943-5}}</ref>

The three locks are all of different sizes. Bottisham and Baits Bite locks are both fully automated, with a vertical guillotine gate at the upstream end and traditional mitre gates at the downstream end. Jesus lock is manually operated, and has mitre gates at both ends. Boat sizes are restricted to {{convert|96.8|ft|abbr=on}} by the length of Bottisham lock, and to {{convert|14|ft|abbr=on}} by the width of Baits Bite lock. Jesus lock is only {{convert|9.7|ft|abbr=on}} wide.<ref>[http://www.camconservators.co.uk/navigation.html#lockInfo Cam Conservators, Lock Dimensions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307162830/http://www.camconservators.co.uk/navigation.html |date=7 March 2009 }}, accessed 25 May 2009</ref> The [[Cambridgeshire Lodes|navigable lodes]] of [[Reach, Cambridgeshire|Reach]], [[Swaffham Bulbeck]] and Bottisham, the last of which is no longer navigable, can be reached from the River Cam.

==Flooding==
[[File:River Cam flooding Stourbridge Common 2001-10-23.jpg|thumb|The Cam (left) flooding parts of Stourbridge Common (right), 23 October 2001. Looking east from Green Dragon Bridge.]]

The Cam is normally a placid river but [[flood]]ing does occasionally happen. The most recent serious floods were in 2001, first in February and again on 22–23 October,<ref>[http://www.cambridge2000.com/cam_flood/0110/index.html Photographs of the October 2001 Cam floods] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012005304/http://www.cambridge2000.com/cam_flood/0110/index.html |date=12 October 2008 }} on the [http://www.cambridge2000.com/index.html Cambridge 2000] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524002958/http://www.cambridge2000.com/index.html |date=24 May 2008 }} site</ref> and then in February 2009.

The Environment Agency is responsible for managing water levels and issuing flood warnings for the entire river.

== Further reading ==
* Franz X. Bogner & Stephen P. Tomkins: ''The Cam. An Aerial Portrait of the Cambridge River''. Laber Foundation, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0-9932642-0-7}} (http://www.cambridgeriver.info/).

==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom|Transport}}
{{GeoGroupTemplate}}
*[[List of bridges in Cambridge]]
*[[Jesus Green Swimming Pool]]
*[[List of rivers of the United Kingdom]]

==Maps==
{{div col|small=yes|colwidth=35em}}
*{{note|map 1|map 1}}Pope's Corner, {{Coord|52|20|53.79|N|000|15|09.04|E|scale:1000_type:river_region:GB-CAM|name=01 - Pope's Corner}}
*{{note|map 2|map 2}}Bottisham Lock, {{Coord|52|16|7|N|0|12|32|E|region:GB-CAM_scale:1000_type:landmark|name=02 - Bottisham Lock}}
*{{note|map 3|map 3}}Baits Bite Lock, {{Coord|52|14|11|N|0|10|28|E|region:GB-CAM_scale:1000_type:landmark|name=03 - Baits Bite Lock}}
*{{note|map 4|map 4}}Chesterton, {{Coord|52|13|02.50|N|000|08|44.50|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=04 - Chesterton}}
*{{note|map 5|map 5}}Midsummer Common, {{Coord|52|12|36.61|N|000|07|54.67|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=05 - Midsummer Common}}
*{{note|map 6|map 6}}Jesus Green, {{Coord|52|12|47.67|N|000|07|23.12|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=06 - Jesus Green}}
*{{note|map 7|map 7}}Jesus Lock, {{Coord|52|12|46|N|0|7|15|E|region:GB-CAM_scale:1000_type:landmark|name=07 - Jesus Lock}}
*{{note|map 8|map 8}}Upstream end of Jesus Green, {{Coord|52|12|36.49|N|000|07|00.98|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=08 - Upstream end of Jesus Green}}
*{{note|map 9|map 9}}River Cam at Cambridge, near Magdalene College, {{Coord|52|12|35.42|N|000|06|59.39|E|type:river_region:GB-CAM|display=inline|name=09 - River Cam at Cambridge, near Magdalene College}}
*{{note|map 10|map 10}}The Backs, {{Coord|52|12|15.73|N|000|06|50.54|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=10 - The Backs}}
*{{note|map 11|map 11}}Silver Street Bridge, {{Coord|52|12|06.77|N|000|06|55.27|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=12 - Silver Street Bridge}}
*{{note|map 12|map 12}}Mill Pond, {{Coord|52|12|05.75|N|000|06|55.87|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=11 - Mill Pond}}
*{{note|map 13|map 13}}Sheep's Green, {{Coord|52|11|45.7|N|000|07|00.0|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=13 - Sheep's Green}}
*{{note|map 14|map 14}}Grantchester, {{Coord|52|10|44.04|N|000|05|42.00|E|scale:5000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=14 - Grantchester}}
*{{note|map 15|map 15}}Byron's Pool, {{Coord|52|10|16.20|N|000|05|53.83|E|scale:1000_type:landmark_region:GB-CAM|name=15 - Byron's Pool}}
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.camconservancy.org/ Conservators of the River Cam]
*[http://www.firstandthird.org/tables/information/camwater.shtml First and Third Trinity Boat Club guide to the Cam]
*[http://www.cambridge-fpas.co.uk/ Cambridge Fish Preservation and Angling Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080509095747/http://www.camboaters.co.uk/aboutus/history.html History of the River Cam] (on the Camboaters website)

{{River Great Ouse}}
{{Rivers and Watercourses of Hertfordshire}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:River Cam| ]]
[[Category:Geography of Cambridge]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cambridge]]
[[Category:River navigations in the United Kingdom|Cam]]
[[Category:Rivers of Cambridgeshire|Cam]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the River Great Ouse|Cam]]
[[Category:Rowing venues in the United Kingdom|Cam]]
[[Category:Rowing in Cambridge]]