To help us celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2025, our Conservation Officer Morwenna pledged to write 25 lake-inspired limericks for her #ItsYour25 challenge. 

Here they are! 

Ode to Avon 

Up the Avon valley lies the Avon Dam
Surrounded by many a sheep and a lamb.
The Dartmoor way passes
There's lots of nice grasses
and a wonderful walk with a pram.

Burrator: so much to answer for 

At Burrator lake was a team
Volunteers all living their dream.
Some would make benches
And others dig trenches
And they all loved a splash in a stream.

Venford verse

A curious lake on the moor
Venford has lots to explore.
Surrounded by mires
The mind it inspires
Of strange old tales and folklore.

Musings on Meldon

A lake looked over by the highest tors
High Willhays and Yes tor, tower and soar. 
If you go to Meldon
Even if Seldom
You’ll have an excellent day for sure.

An elegy on KTT (Kennick, Tottiford and Trenchford)

Three stunning lakes all lined in a row
Kennick, Tottiford, Trenchford, a great combo. 
If you want to go fishing
Or for woodlands you’re wishing
Give these beautiful lakes a go.

Lyrical Wimbleball

Wimbleball sounds like the home of wizards
Or a place plagued by booming great blizzards.
But if you look around
There’s lots to be found
Like dark night skies, butterflies and lizards.

Cake at Colliford

The story of Colliford Lake
Was strange and hard to mistake.
A man in a haze
Got lost in a maze
Of Cornish hedges where he had some cake.

A song for Siblyback

At Siblyback Lake was a giant mole
Who every night bore a giant hole.
The lake emptied out
And the people would shout
Our boats are all out of control.

Crowdy couplet

There’s a lake far away they call Crowdy 
Where the weather is usually cloudy.
But on a cold winter night 
You can see a great sight 
Of starlings all fluttering and rowdy.

Tamar tales

The tale of Tamara begins up here
At Tamar Lakes where where the Tamar appears.
It’s a story of giants
And a woman defiant 
Who all became rivers from far and near.

College calling

A lake near Penryn where there’s plenty to learn 
Fishing, or birding or distinguishing ferns.
Down here at College 
You’ll gain lots of knowledge 
And may never decide to return.

About Argal

At Argal Lake there’s plenty of carp
You can sit there for hours under your tarp.
If it rains it’s no matter 
The fish will not scatter
Just play a nice tune on your harp.

Drifting along

In deepest Cornwall near west Penwith
Lies a beautiful lake whose name is Drift.
It’s a great stop for birds 
They come in their herds 
Ospreys, yellowlegs, eagles and swifts.

Sonnet for Stithians

Stithians Lake is shaped like a dragon
He tumbled down there when he fell off a wagon.
He’s a hoard of gold
So I’m told 
Hidden deep down in a Cornish cavern.

Wistlandpound whiskers

Whistle and pound can never be found
Two mice running rampant all over the ground.
One of them’s spry 
The other is sly 
And neither will let the rangers sleep sound.

Ode to Old Mill

Tucked away beyond Dartmouth's hill
Lies a small lake we call Old Mill.
Hid in this valley
You’ll dilly and dally
And the day out you have will be brill.

Squabmoor psalm

Squabmoor was a disgruntled pigeon
He lived on a lake with a flock of wigeon.
But squab couldn’t swim
So he sat on the brim
Till someone said budge up a smidgen.

Bussow ballad

There was an old lady of Bussow
She made an awful great fuss, O.
She’d hop in a boat
And over she’d float
She would never get on a bus though.

A Cargenwen caution 

At Cargenwen Lake lives a tiny frog
He sings all of February from inside the bog.
His croak sounds like thunder
So dare you not blunder
Into his home in a blazing fog.

Double the fun at Slade

At Slade Lakes there’s a lower an upper
Both are nice for an al fresco supper.
But if you stay out too late
For tea with a mate
You’ll have to get out in a flutter.

A gamble at Gammaton

At Gammaton Lake is a pesky otter
Around the edges she’ll patter and potter,
She once saw a crayfish
And said no way miss
And so she went in and got 'er.

Jaunty Jennetts

Jennetts joins to the River Torridge
Great for some angling or maybe a forage.
Steep wooded edges
And autumnal hedges
And a wonderful spot for some porridge.

Lovely Longham

Longham Lakes near Bournemouth town
A lovely spot that will ease your frown.
Nice for a paddle
Or a ride on the saddle
Or a parade in a beautiful gown.

Roadford rhyme

Roadford's shores spread far and wide
With sailors and anglers and birders in hides.
There’s fish in the swims
And space for your whims
And a cafe with views of countryside.

Porth potter

Porth is a place so tranquil and calm
A place to relax and stroll arm in arm.
Plenty of flowers
Sit here for hours
And wait for the summer's warm balm. 

Get involved

Make a pledge to do 25 things at the lakes this year to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary! 25 could mean lots of different things: 25 miles, 25 visits, 25 lakes, 25 different activities...

Email your personal #ItsYour25 challenge pledge to [email protected] 

#ItsYour25