Sidney Sussex: finally a college on the river
After years of planning, an artificial canal brings La Serenissima to Cambridge

Construction of the canal began last Thursday and finished at 2am yesterday. The canal itself was made of metal scaffolding and damp-proof membrane. It rises to a height of three feet and extends around the college. Seven punts carried ball-goers throughout the night. As one of the few large colleges without access to the River Cam, the idea to construct an artificial river for the Sidney May Ball has been floated for years. However, this year’s committee, which included two Engineering students, was the first to pull it off. Committee member Jack Scannell said, "The Sidney May Ball committee is very excited to have been the first committee to achieve this. We’re thrilled by the buzz that it’s caused around Cambridge."
Music / The pipes are calling: the life of a Cambridge Organ Scholar
25 April 2025Arts / Plays and playing truant: Stephen Fry’s Cambridge
25 April 2025Comment / Cambridge builds up the housing crisis
25 April 2025Interviews / Dr Ally Louks on going viral for all the wrong reasons
25 April 2025News / Candidates clash over Chancellorship
25 April 2025