Look slightly to your left for a friendly, cream-colored building with bold wooden trim, green doors, and a sign above the door that reads "Champion of the Thames"-you’ll spot a classic pub scene complete with lanterns and a painted oarsman swinging above the entrance.
Welcome to The Champion of the Thames! Imagine the year is 1860, and a dashing oarsman-fresh from victory on the River Thames-has just swaggered into Cambridge, bringing with him a thirst for adventure and, perhaps, a pint or two. This pub was named after that very champion, who was so proud of his river triumph that he made sure all his mail came addressed to him here as “The Champion of the River Thames, King Street, Cambridge.” Where else could you be sure your beer-and your letters-would find you but somewhere this cozy? As you stand here, feel the lively hum that has echoed through these unaltered Victorian walls for over a century. You’re not just looking at bricks and wood: you’re stepping into a rowing club’s home, a champion’s legacy, and the heart of one of Cambridge’s wildest pub crawls, the legendary King Street Run. Picture the fun and a little friendly chaos, as teams down their pints in a race against time. The pub even battles St Radegund in a yearly cricket match-pub pride at stake! And if you hear echoes of laughter and see flashes of rowing blades, don’t be alarmed-it’s just the pub’s spirit celebrating its crown as Cambridge’s Pub of the Year in 2024. So, pull up an imaginary stool and enjoy the champion’s story-cheers to history and a bit of good mischief!
