With their captivating beauty and incredible wildlife, our chalk streams are great places to find inspiration. As we head into summer, it’s the perfect time to try creative writing by penning a chalk stream poem! Don’t worry if there isn’t a chalk stream on your doorstep - here are four of our favourite ones to visit...

Alresford

You can find a lovely streamside walk right in the town centre. Combining the Millennium and Arle Valley trails, this footpath runs along the River Arle. Look out for the historic Eel House, the old Fulling Mill, and lots of ducks, swans, and moorhens.

Andover

This town has great nature reserves along the Upper Anton. Charlton Lakes, Anton Lakes, and Rooksbury Mill are all filled with wildlife, and some of their footpaths are wheelchair-friendly. You can spot lots of birds, and sometimes water voles.

Overton

Flashetts footpath is a local treasure: it’s only a ten-minute walk from the High Street, and right next to the Upper Test. Pause at the gravelly area to watch for small fish in the water. Remember to keep your eyes peeled for dragonflies and kingfishers.

Whitchurch

This town has many places where you can enjoy the Upper Test. Check out the Millennium Green - a peaceful meadow where you might see water voles. For a longer walk, visit the Silk Mill or follow the streamside footpath from Town Mill Lane.

When you arrive at your chosen chalk stream, find a quiet place where you can explore with all your senses...

Look

Study the stream with your eyes. What shapes and colours can you see? Notice how the water moves, and how the plants sway in the wind. If there are animals, what are they doing?

Listen

Take in the sounds of the stream. Can you hear birds chirping, people talking, water flowing, or wind blowing? What sound does the ground make when you step on it?

Smell

Pay attention to the scents in the air. If there are flowers growing on the stream banks, what do they smell like? You could even catch a whiff of the water on a hot day, or the soil after heavy rain.

Touch

Investigate the textures around you. What do the different plant leaves feel like? Try touching soil, grass, and pebbles. If you can safely reach the water, how does it feel on your fingers?

Once you’ve explored the stream with your senses, you can start to use the power of your imagination...

Change perspective

Choose a chalk stream animal, and imagine yourself in its place. What would it see, hear, smell, taste, and touch? What would it say about its home?

Ask questions

Pretend that you’re talking to the stream, as if it’s a person. How would it describe itself? What would it say about the world, and what feelings would it have?

Travel in time

Imagine what the stream might have been like 100 years ago. Who would have visited it, and what for? How might things be different 100 years from now?

Face the unknown

Think about what makes the stream mysterious. What parts of it are secret or hidden? Do you want to discover more about them, or do you like not knowing?

Now it’s time to start writing your poem. Grab your pen and paper, and think about what you want to say...

Try new words

Choose a word you want to use, then think of other words that have a similar meaning (synonyms). Don’t be afraid to use a thesaurus! Do you like any of these other words better? How do they change the sound or meaning of your poem?

Play with sound

Try out words that start with the same sound (alliteration) or contain similar sounds (assonance). Your poem might rhyme, or have a rhythm (its “metre”). You could also use words that describe sounds (onomatopoeia) like “splash” or “buzz”.

Compare and contrast

Have a go at writing a metaphor (when one thing “is” another: “the stream is a blue ribbon”) or a simile (when one thing is “like” another: “the stream is like a blue ribbon”). You could also describe how two or more things are different from each other (juxtaposition).

Experiment with structure

Write phrases on pieces of paper, and arrange them in different orders. How does this affect the story you want to tell? Your poem’s structure (its “form”) could reflect the subject: long lines might sound calm like flowing water, but short lines might sound excited like a darting damselfly.

Congratulations: you've now got the makings of a brilliant chalk stream poem! If you'd like these exercises in a handy pocket size, you can download our free Poetry Activity Guide - it's designed to be printed at home:

• A4 version (print one or two sided)
• A5 version (printed two sided and fold)

If you’re aged 7-18, why not check if you can enter our poetry competition? You could win up to £75 in National Book Tokens, and be included in our poetry booklet - enter for free by 31st July 2024. You can also get writing inspiration at our free poetry and nature writing workshops this June!

Poetry competition

Literature festival