In this small village on the bank of the Thames, local life centres around nautical activities, particularly the famous rowing race that starts at Putney Bridge. The bridge was built from Cornish granite in 1884 to replace the wooden toll bridge erected in 1729. Every spring since 1945, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge have kept their famous rivalry alive by competing against each other in The Boat Race between Putney and Mortlake (7 km).