Punting on the river

You might have lived in the county all your life, but we’re willing to bet you haven’t done all of these yet. Make like a tourist this year and tick these off...

Cambridge United

1 Hire a punt

Go in summer, take strawberries and Pimms, and do battle with the tourists. Or punt out of season and avoid the crowds - wrap up warm, take a flask of hot chocolate and some cake and enjoy the tranquility of an autumn or winter’s day on the still water.

2 Hear heavenly voices

Ely Cathedral

You’ll have to join the queue by 9am to stand a chance of getting into Carols at Kings at 3pm, but that’s part of the fun. The service is officially called The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and it’s also a chance to be part of something that is listened to all over the world – it’s broadcast live on the World Service and Radio 4.

3 Go back in time

Flag Fen Archaeology Park is home to one of Europe’s most important archaeological treasures – a 3,500-year-old 1km long wooden causeway and platform, perfectly preserved in the wetland. It was built and used by the Celtic fen people and provides a fascinating insight into our heritage and ancestry. Visit flagfen.com.

The Corpus Christi Clock

4 Support our local heroes

Cambridge has not one but two great football clubs – Cambridge United and Histon FC. Forget Chelsea and Man United - local football clubs are what the sport is really all about, and you can’t be a Cantabrigian until you’ve chosen a side. Both clubs have youth teams, too, and encourage children to be active and take part in football. Visit cambridge-united.co.uk and histonfc.co.uk.

Flying legends air show 2006

5 Climb to the top of Ely Cathedral

The ‘Great Ship of the Fens’ is arguably Cambridgeshire’s ecclesiastical and architectural jewel in the crown, and a tour to the top of either or both of the cathedral’s towers is a definite must-do. The Octagon, topped by the wood, lead and glass Lantern Tower, is a masterpiece of medieval engineering, while the views from the top of the 215ft West Tower are worth the effort of getting up the stairs. Visit elycathedral.org.

6 Stay a night in a college

Doing a guided tour of a college is a great way to start – but now you can actually stay the night and have breakfast in the hallowed halls once roamed by scholars as varied as Christopher Marlowe, David Attenboroughand John Cleese. An en suite room with b&b starts from as little as £42 per person. Visit conferencecambridge.com

7 Visit Kettles Yard House

Once the home of Tate curator Jim Ede, this house is now a museum kept exactly as Ede arranged it and lived in it. It’s chock full of beautiful and bizarre objects and art that range from original pieces by the likes of Joan Miro to sketches drawn by Ede’s grandchildren. It’s a thrilling and delightful experience, with no ropes or boundaries between you and the art. Visit kettlesyard.co.uk.

8 Discover the history of the National Trust

The charitable institution was co-founded by Wisbech-born Octavia Hill – and there’s a museum dedicated to her in the house where she was born (visit octaviahill.org.). You can find out about her life and the origins of the Trust, then head across the county to Wicken Fen, the Trust and the country’s first official nature reserve, where there’s wildlife in abundance, lots of walking, and a windmill. Visit wicken.org.uk.

9 Watch time passing

The fabulous Corpus Christi clock on the corner of King’s Parade and Bene’t Street is much more than just a timepiece. Created by Corpus old member John Taylor, it is topped by a monster called a chronophage, or timeeater. And if you stand and watch it long enough you’ll catch time speeding up, slowing down or even going backwards. Find out more at chronophage.co.uk

10 Play with some boys’ toys

The Imperial War Museum at Duxford is Europe’s best aviation museum, and anybody interested in planes or the history of war could probably spend a week there and not get bored. As well as the permanent exhibits there are air shows, regular flights of historic aircraft and all sorts of interactive activities to get children involved. Visit duxfordiwm.org.uk.