South West Lakes Trust and South West Water have revealed the winners of the 2018 ‘Love your Lakes’ photo competition which ran from May to September, receiving over 140 entries.

The competition, now in its sixth year, was held to encourage people of all ages to make the most of the fantastic photo opportunities at their lakes across Devon, Cornwall and West Somerset. The lakes of the South West are popular among amateur and professional photographers alike, providing a unique combination of beautiful landscapes, high-adrenaline activities and rich wildlife.

The winning entries reflect the essence of their respective categories, which are based on four of the five campaign themes that underpin the work of South West Lakes Trust: Active Outdoors, Discovering Local Culture, Love your Lakes and Play and Explore. Photos had to be taken at one of South West Lakes Trust’s sites.

The competition was judged by Emily Fleur, ‘one of the region’s most accomplished young photographers’, Andy Parsons, Chief Executive of South West Lakes Trust, and Head of Community Relations for South West Water, Alan Hyde.

First prize for the Active Outdoors category, which was also chosen as the overall winner, was ‘Catching the Wind’ by Lynda Mudle-Small: a dynamic photograph of windsurfing in action on Siblyback Lake. Lynda’s striking photograph of a ‘common blue butterfly’ at the same lake also won first prize in the Love your Lakes category. Thus, Lynda has been awarded £450, which she intends to donate, fittingly, to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, because she is ‘passionate about preserving places for all forms of wildlife’.

Scott Mayhew won first prize in the Play and Explore category with his photo, ‘Paddleboard Pioneer’, at Roadford Lake, and Thomas James Russell was awarded first prize in the Discovering Local Culture category for a great view of the dam at Wimbleball.

Active Outdoors

First Prize and Overall Winner – Lynda Mudle-Small – ‘Catching the Wind’, Siblyback

Second Prize – Holly Dosdale – ‘Frosty Morning Camp’, Wimbleball

Third Prize – Kingsley Garrison – ‘Fishing’, Burrator

Discovering Local Culture

First Prize – Thomas James Russell, Wimbleball

Second Prize – Dave Philpott, ‘Milky Way Over Wimbleball’

Third Prize – Stephanie Holman, ‘What A View’, Burrator

Love your Lakes

First Prize – Lynda Mudle-Small, ‘Common Blue Butterfly’, Siblyback

Second Prize – Laurence Liddy, ‘Wistlandpound By Night’

Third Prize – Simon Marlow, ‘Meldon, Near Okehampton, At Sunset’

Play and Explore

First Prize – Scott Mayhew, ‘Paddleboard Pioneer’, Roadford

Second Prize – Mandy Pollard, ‘Heading Off To Explore Upper Tamar’

Third Prize – Natasha Rand, ‘The Kayak Kids Go Exploring!’, Wimbleball

£50 was awarded to Lacey Francis for her photograph of Tamar Lake which received the most public votes.

A selection of the photos will be on display in Lakeside Café at Roadford Lake: just minutes from the A30 between Okehampton and Launceston and home to Devon’s Jubilee Sundial, given to HM the Queen by the County of Devon in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. Why not pop in and enjoy a stroll around the lake, view the fantastic array of photos and warm up with a homemade soup in the café?