1899
The family farm
In 1899, our family acquired land around what is now Partridge Lakes, and the fertile fields were farmed for crops including cauliflowers, cabbages and, later, potatoes.
The old family farm was known as Phillips Farm, and farming remained at the heart of the land for generations.
1996
The first lake
Then, in 1996, my dad, Dave Ikin, made a decision that would completely change the future of the farm. Having diversified from the potato business, he decided to turn some of the old potato fields into fishing lakes.
From that first lake, the fishery gradually grew, with more surrounding farmland being acquired and more waters added over the years. And so Partridge Lakes began.
2015
A new generation
In 2015, I took over the running of Partridge Lakes. What started as a fishery continued to grow, but I wanted to build something that was about more than fishing alone.
2017
The Lakeside Café
The Tackle & Bait Shop was added, followed by the Lakeside Café in 2017, giving visitors another reason to come and enjoy the place, whether they were fishing or simply enjoying the countryside.
2020
Events by the lakes
Then, in 2020, we took another step and began creating events here too. The lakes remained at the heart of everything, but Partridge Lakes was becoming something bigger: a place where people could come together, make memories and enjoy being outdoors.
2026
Fishing for families
For many years, Partridge Lakes was particularly well known for match fishing, attracting anglers from across the country. In 2026, we made the decision to put less emphasis on match fishing and focus more on helping families discover fishing for themselves.
It has been incredible to see so many families outdoors together, trying fishing for the first time, learning something new and simply enjoying being by the water.
Next
Park Lake
The newest addition to the site is Park Lake, which we hope to develop further with planting, a park and more areas for café guests and families to enjoy throughout the year.
The anglers who come here for the peace and quiet of the lakes will always be important to us, so we will keep respecting the tranquillity of the fishing lakes during the day. It is a balance we care about.
Our heritage
Long before there were lakes here, there were fields.
From family farmland to Partridge Lakes
This land has been part of the Ikin family story for generations.
The people
Still a family business
When I started in 2015, there were just three of us. Today, our team has grown to around 45 people, rising to as many as 100 during our events, and so many of those people are local.
Despite everything Partridge Lakes has grown into, we have always wanted to keep that small business, family feel: knowing our team, looking after our people and feeling connected to the local community.
- 1899
- Family land since
- 3
- Of us in 2015
- 45
- Around this many on the team now
- 100
- As many as this during events
Still the same family land
And we are only just getting started.