BLUE skies and sun herald the season of Oxford’s favourite nostalgic pastime, punting.

And punters will now be able to make their way up and down the Cherwell with what is thought to be Oxford’s first dedicated, panoramic boat map.

Keen punter William Underhill has teamed up with a local artist to put together the fold-out guide.

The Summertown resident believes this is the first panoramic map of the main punting river, the Cherwell.

He said: “Last summer it occurred to me that you can glide down the Cherwell without any clear idea of what lies on either side.

“It seems a shame people should come to the city and enjoy what is a quaint Oxford pastime without enjoying what is on either side of the banks.

“We hope that it will be a useful souvenir.”

The 57-year-old journalist has been punting with his family since the age of five.

He added: “I wouldn’t claim to be an expert but, strangely, my father had a punt on the Thames by Hampton Court growing up so I did a little bit as a child.

“I was intrigued by it. As much as anything I like the unhurried pace – and it always happens in beautiful surroundings.”

Expert punter and business partner on the project, Nicholas Hardyman, shared his top tips for the first-time punter:

  1. Keep looking ahead – that’s the best way to keep a punt straight.
  2. Be sure to drop the pole vertically and make sure it is straight before you shove.
  3. Take your time – remember that the punt can travel two-and-a-half times its length after you shove.
  4. Do not panic if the pole gets stuck in the mud. Let go – you can always paddle back.
  5. Feel for the bottom of the river through the pole. If it is gravel, push harder. If it is mud, take care.

 

Over the past year, Mr Underhill has been working with local artist Francesca Shakespeare to plot out some of the key sites on the Cherwell from the Victoria Arms in Old Marston to where it flows into the Thames.

These include the former men’s nude bathing place Parson’s Pleasure, the University Parks and the Botanic Garden, but the map also provides hints on punting technique.

Mrs Shakespeare said: “I grew up near Abingdon jumping in and out of the River Ock at Frilford.

“Ever since I can remember, it was a big treat to go into Oxford for punting with my family.

“I remember my father falling in or holding on to the punt when it got stuck.

“There is a family history of it being fun and exciting, but I enjoy the tranquility of it now.”

She did all the illustrations for the map, sketching from a punt or on the river bank using Ordnance Survey maps to pinpoint her location.

The map is on sale for £3.99 at punt stations and city bookshops including Blackwells.

There are an estimated 180 punts in Oxford.

Andrew Howard, manager of the Magdalen Bridge Boathouse, which stocks the map, said: “I would say this is unique.

“This is quite detailed and aimed specifically at punting.”

He added: “We always tell people where to go and what is a good route.”