Oh well!

A Roman well as deep as a two-storey house has recently been discovered – and it is far from being a feat of ancient engineering. Archaeologists discovered the remains of two wells near the A428 in Cambridgeshire, one of which was dubbed a “failure” by Project Manager Simon Markus. Markus explained, “this first well collapsed before they could use it,” adding that “the clay literally peels away from the more compacted earth and stone”. The second well was erected in a different place, and is yet to collapse, Varsity has been led to believe.

Local bakery on the rise

Norfolk Street Bakery, with locations on Station Road and Norfolk Street, has been named one of the best bakeries in the country for 2024. While most Cambridge students depend on nothing other than a £1 loaf from Mainsbury’s, Homerton students have been seen branching out to the bakery’s Station Road site after it won the Cambridgeshire nomination for the National Bakery Awards. It serves baked items from artisan breads and freshly made sandwiches to Portuguese tarts.

Don’t step on the… horse?

Shire horses have been spotted on the grass in King’s College. The horses aren’t actually fellows, though: they are there for the annual harvest of the wildflower meadow. Shire horses are used due to their low environmental impact, and have been seen annually at the College for four years. Some of the bales harvested are even set to be given to farmers to help feed their animals over the winter. It remains to be seen if the Dean of discipline will be taking action on the horses for their actions.

Tourist tenacity

Nothing can stop tourists from punting – including 34.8 degree temperatures and a crowded river. The staff guiding the punts on the hottest day of the year were thankfully rewarded with cold drinks and extra breaks, while tourists were rewarded with the opportunity to be looked down upon by students on the numerous bridges above the Cam. Zoe Smith, director at the Traditional Punting Company, described the “valiant effort” of the staff in the extreme heat, sharing that “our punters are working all day today, we haven’t slowed down because it is the summer period, but we have more staff on”.