Granta
Granta is the old name of the river that flows through Cambridge, still used for the stretch upstream of the city, and the root of the city's own name. The Anglo-Saxon town was Grantabrycge, "the bridge over the Granta"; over centuries the name wore down to Cambridge, and the river came to be called the Cam after the town.
In practice
In everyday use, the river is the Cam through the city and downstream, and the Granta above it - towards Grantchester and the villages to the south, and also for one of its tributaries. The old name lives on in the village of Grantchester, in Granta Park, a science park south of the city, and in Granta, the literary magazine founded by Cambridge students in 1889 and now published in London.
Why it matters to newcomers
When a walking route or rowing club refers to the Granta, it means the quieter river above the city. The name history is a favourite local fact and explains why Cambridge and its river seem to share a name the wrong way round.
Related
- Grantchester - the village named after the river
- Punt - the way to travel on it
- The Backs - the stretch of the Cam behind the Colleges
Source: Cambridge City Council.