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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 18h

I gave Helmsley's ruin to Time when I wrote this poem — soft verbs, nobody's fault. Researching this episode, I'd write it differently now. The castle didn't crumble. Somebody decided it should. #MoorToShore #AldenCarrow

A cinematic, wide-angle shot of the shattered great keep of Helmsley Castle under the low, golden light of a late September afternoon. The massive limestone walls are split vertically, showing the jagged, violent edges where the stone was deliberately breached. Fine textures of weathered masonry and dark, empty window sockets are visible. Long, sharp shadows stretch across the deep green grass of the earthworks. In the foreground, a few stray yellowing leaves rest on a cold stone block. The atmosphere is heavy and silent, emphasizing the contrast between the permanent weight of the rock and the historical violence of its destruction. High-definition detail, rich earthy tones, and crisp autumnal clarity.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 19h

Helmsley Castle, a soap opera in four acts: a general besieges it, the surrender terms demand its demolition, and his daughter marries straight back into the family who lost it. Yorkshire property disputes hit different. #PoetryPodcast #Yorkshire

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

If today's episode sent you looking for Helmsley Castle the poem, it's in North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry. Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Foyles, — and beyond. buff.ly/wzfFC6x #MoorToShore #HelmsleyCastle

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Time takes the blame for every ruin. At Helmsley, somebody gave the order. New episode of the podcast is live now — Spenser's vanished Roman city, paired with the Yorkshire castle that was broken on purpose. #PoetryPodcast #NorthYorkshire

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

76 poems. Nine centuries of Yorkshire stone. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry, available now. #MoorToShore #Poetry

A cinematic, low-angle shot of a weathered gritstone monolith standing on a vast, windswept North Yorkshire moor. The rock is textured with deep fissures and patches of vibrant orange lichen, showing the wear of centuries. In the far background, the high cliffs of the coast meet a churning grey sea under a heavy, atmospheric autumn sky. The lighting is dramatic, casting long shadows across the heather and highlighting the raw, material permanence of the stone against the shifting coastal mist. Rich textures of cold rock and damp earth.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Wednesday's episode: a 400-year-old poem spoken by a Roman city that's vanished completely, paired with a Yorkshire castle ruined not by time, but by agreement — demolished on purpose, with gunpowder. New episode, Wednesday 10am. #PoetryPodcast #HelmsleyCastle

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Helmsley Castle or Whitby Abbey — which North Yorkshire ruin has actually stopped you in your tracks? Tell me which one, and what it was that got you. #NorthYorkshire #Poetry

A cinematic, high-detail photograph of the skeletal gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey standing on the cliff edge. The weathered, salt-etched Oolitic limestone glows with a deep ochre hue against a bruised purple and slate-grey twilight sky. Sea mist drifts through the empty, pointed archways, blurring the line between the solid masonry and the cold North Sea air. The ground is a rich tapestry of damp green grass and dark, jagged shadows. The lighting is dramatic and low-angled, highlighting the rough, pitted texture of the ancient stones and the intricate, crumbling carvings. High contrast between the enduring, heavy stone and the ethereal, fleeting nature of the evening fog.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry skips misty nostalgia: 76 poems reading landscape the way Macfarlane, Armitage and Jamie do — as geology and weather. Online at Waterstones, Blackwell's, Foyles, Amazon and beyond. #MoorToShore #NorthYorkshire

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

That's the week: a drowned city, a clifftop abbey, and 76 poems that try never to have the last word on a place. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry — Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Foyles, and beyond. buff.ly/wzfFC6x #MoorToShore #NorthYorkshire

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

"Come wander where the dales unfold" — the book's first line, and still the truest map of what it's trying to do. Not to have the last word on a place. Just to leave it open enough to still have more. #MoorToShore #Poetry

A sweeping vista of the North Yorkshire Dales at daybreak. Ancient limestone outcrops break through rolling green slopes, intersected by a network of grey dry stone walls. In the foreground, an old, silvered timber gate stands partially open, revealing a winding sheep track that disappears into the valley. The atmosphere is damp and ethereal, with morning mist settling in the hollows. The light is soft and diffused, catching the rough texture of the stone and the dew on the long grass. High-resolution, cinematic landscape photography.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Weekend reading: moor, market town, or coast — where are you starting? #MoorToShore #AldenCarrow

A wide, atmospheric panorama of the North Yorkshire landscape during a late September afternoon. On one side, high moorland with deep purple heather and ancient, weathered dark gritstone boulders under a vast sky. In the center, the transition to a historic market town with narrow streets of honey-colored stone and damp, reflective cobblestones. On the far side, the rugged coastline where the cold North Sea surges against steep, dark shale cliffs. The lighting is cinematic, with shafts of pale sunlight breaking through heavy, bruised clouds, highlighting the contrast between the permanent stone and the shifting sea spray. Rich textures of lichen, salt-crusted rock, and aged masonry. Hyper-realistic and moody.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Every poem in this book started as a walk before it was a page — a spire in mist, a market square, the curve of a cobbled street. The writing always came after the boots did. #NatureWriting #Poetry

A high-angle, cinematic shot of a narrow, winding street in a historic North Yorkshire town at dawn. Wet, dark grey cobblestones glisten under a thick, ethereal mist. In the background, the sharp, detailed silhouette of a medieval limestone church spire pierces through the heavy fog. The lighting is cold and atmospheric, highlighting the rough textures of ancient stone walls and the smooth sheen of the damp ground. A deserted market square with empty wooden stalls sits in the soft shadows. Rich tones of charcoal, slate, and pale grey. Focus on the contrast between the solid, weathered masonry and the fleeting, translucent quality of the morning mist.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Every episode pairs a guest poem with one of my own — and the next guest poem could be yours. Email a suggestion to aldencarrow78@gmail.com for a chance to win a signed copy of North Yorkshire In Verse. #PoetryPodcast #AldenCarrow

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The ammonites on Whitby's beach carry the scientific name Hildoceras — Hild's horn. Coiled stone, once alive, now geology: the same deep-time attention that runs through North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry. #DeepTime #NorthYorkshire

A cinematic macro photograph of a fossilized Hildoceras ammonite embedded in the dark, wet alum shale of a Whitby beach. The intricate, rib-like spirals of the fossil are sharply defined, glistening with sea spray and salt. The surrounding rock is a deep charcoal grey, slick with moisture. In the soft-focus background, the churning, cold grey waters of the North Sea meet a heavy, overcast sky. The lighting is low and atmospheric, catching the metallic sheen of iron pyrites within the stone and highlighting the ancient, rugged textures of the coastal geology.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Whitby Abbey was one of the very first poems I wrote for this series, from the first of these county books. I read it back on the podcast this week and didn't touch a word — not because it's perfect, but because it's where I started. #MoorToShore #AldenCarrow

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Caedmon, later credited with the oldest surviving poem in English, reportedly used to leave parties before the harp reached him. Painfully relatable. He went out to the cow shed instead and woke up a poet. Some of us are still waiting. #PoetryPodcast #NorthYorkshire

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

You can now buy a book online about a Yorkshire clifftop while sitting in Berlin, Melbourne, or Portland, Oregon. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry: Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Foyles, buff.ly/fz80ylM — and far beyond. buff.ly/wzfFC6x #MoorToShore #Whitby

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The drowned city fell silent. The ruined abbey never did. New episode of the podcast is live now — Poe's City in the Sea, paired with Whitby Abbey, the poem closest to home for me. #PoetryPodcast #WhitbyAbbey

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

76 poems. One county. Moor to shore. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry, available now. #MoorToShore #Poetry

A sweeping panoramic view where the purple-bruised heather of the North York Moors meets the jagged, dark limestone cliffs of the coast. A dense, low-hanging sea haar rolls in from the grey-blue North Sea, partially obscuring the sharp edges of the land. In the foreground, weathered gritstone boulders are encrusted with ancient orange lichen, contrasting with the soft, ephemeral spray of crashing waves against the base of the cliffs. The lighting is the cool, diffused glow of a late September morning, highlighting the raw textures of damp earth and salt-crusted stone.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Tomorrow's podcast: a drowned city Poe built almost entirely from what ISN'T there, paired with a Yorkshire abbey that's been rewritten every few centuries since a shy cowherd woke up a poet on its clifftop. New episode, Wednesday 6am. #PoetryPodcast #Whitby

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

One afternoon in North Yorkshire — moor or shore? Whitby's cliffs and ammonites, or the high fells above Swaledale? Tell me which you'd choose, and why? #MoorToShore #Yorkshire

A cinematic, atmospheric landscape capturing the duality of North Yorkshire. In the foreground, the dark, wet shale of a coastal cliff reveals the ancient, coiled geometry of a fossilized ammonite, slick with North Sea salt spray. The mid-ground transitions into the vast, silent heights of the Swaledale fells, where weathered limestone scars cut through deep purple heather under a heavy, mist-laden September sky. The lighting is low and moody, highlighting the coarse textures of lichen on stone and the ethereal, fleeting movement of fog rolling over the moorland. Deep charcoal, slate blue, and earthy moss tones dominate the frame, emphasizing the tension between the permanent rock and the shifting weather.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Nearly three weeks since launch, and the poem people mention least is the one I'd defend hardest: Simonsbath, a place that isn't tragic or triumphant, just quietly, stubbornly itself. Which of the 76 would you defend that nobody else mentions? #NaturePoetry #PoetryCommunity

A wide-angle view of the Exmoor high moors at dawn. The River Barle cuts through dark, saturated peat banks. Ancient grey stones are encrusted with thick, vibrant green lichen and damp moss. A heavy, low-hanging mist clings to the valley floor, blurring the line between the iron-grey sky and the undulating brown hills. The lighting is somber and diffused, highlighting the rugged, unyielding texture of the moorland grass and the cold, glassy surface of the water. Focus on the raw, tactile quality of the earth and the stillness of the morning air.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This week's whole craft lesson in one line: you don't need a reason to prefer something. Liking it is the reason. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry runs on that principle more than any single geological fact in it. #WritingCommunity #NaturePoetry

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

In 1818, John Knight bought most of Exmoor and tried to farm it — a twenty-nine-mile wall, drained moorland, a failed copper mine. Two centuries on, the moor is winning. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry treats that as fact, not fable. #SomersetInVerse #NaturePoetry

A vast, sweeping Exmoor landscape under a heavy, bruised September sky. In the foreground, a derelict dry-stone wall, moss-covered and partially collapsed, snakes across the undulating moorland. Rushes and yellowing grass push through the gaps in the slate. In the distance, the skeletal remains of a Victorian industrial engine house are being swallowed by thick Atlantic mist. The palette is dominated by deep ochre, slate grey, and bruised purple heathers. Sharp focus on the texture of lichen-encrusted stone and the damp, dark soil of a drainage ditch. Atmospheric, somber, and ancient.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Still running: suggest a future guest poem and you're entered to win a signed Somerset In Verse. Email aldencarrow78@gmail.com. And since this week's episode is about liking things without justifying them — go on, what's yours? #PoetryCommunity #Somerset

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Ten days to the Kindle edition of Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry. The paperback's had two and a half weeks out in the world — if you've read it already, this is a good week to tell someone who reads on a device instead. #SomersetInVerse #BritishCountiesInVerse

A wide-angle view of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Thick, low-hanging river mist clings to the dark, waterlogged peat soil and damp marsh grass. In the far distance, the jagged, ancient silhouette of Exmoor rises against a cold, pale lavender sky. The foreground highlights the sharp, tactile texture of weathered limestone and silver glints of water in a slow-moving drainage rhyne. The composition captures the heavy, permanent weight of the earth contrasted against the fleeting, ethereal movement of the morning fog. Diffused, natural light creates a somber yet persuasive atmosphere.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

'Each November, a hundred gunpowder charges / fire at once from the ends of wooden coshes.' That's Bridgwater. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry, out now in paperback. #NaturePoetry #DeepTime

Wide-angle cinematic shot of the Somerset Levels at twilight. Low-hanging, heavy mist rolls over dark, saturated peat soil and still water channels. In the far distance, a sharp, incandescent burst of amber and gold light erupts against a bruised indigo sky, reflecting in the damp earth. The foreground features the intricate, sharp textures of frozen reeds and weathered wooden fence posts. The atmosphere is a heavy silence interrupted by a singular, violent flash of warmth, capturing the tension between the ancient, cold landscape and a fleeting moment of fire. High contrast, rich earthy tones, and sharp crystalline details.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Wordsworth tried and failed to finish a poem about Dead Woman's Ditch — 'A Somersetshire Tragedy,' abandoned, unpublished. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry has 76 finished poems. Make of that what you will. #Somerset #NaturePoetry

A wide-angle landscape of the Quantock Hills under a heavy, overcast sky. In the foreground, an ancient earthwork ditch cuts through the terrain, lined with damp, dark peat and tangled, skeletal hawthorn branches. The mid-ground is a sea of rusted bracken and deep green moss. Thick, swirling mist clings to the valley floor, partially obscuring the distant, rolling ridges of the Somerset Levels. The atmosphere is weighted and somber, with sharp, tactile textures of cold stone and wet earth. The lighting is low and moody, capturing the tension between the enduring hills and the shifting fog.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Chew Valley Lake drowned an entire village, Moreton, in 1956 to build a reservoir. In dry summers, the bridge stones still climb back out of the mud. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry, out now. #SomersetInVerse #DeepTime

A wide-angle landscape of a receding reservoir bed during a severe drought. The foreground is a vast mosaic of deeply fissured, sun-baked silt and cracked grey mud. Emerging stubbornly from the shallow, stagnant water are the jagged, silt-stained tops of an ancient hand-hewn stone bridge. The sky is a heavy, bruised ochre of late afternoon, casting long, sharp shadows across the skeletal ruins. Cinematic lighting highlights the grit and rough texture of the lias limestone against the dark, receding waterline, capturing a sense of heavy, rediscovered history.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This week’s episode argues a place doesn't need to earn attention with tragedy. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry has reactors and drowned villages, but Simonsbath's the one I like most: nothing there is trying to be forgiven. #WritingCommunity #PoetryPodcast

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

New episode is live: Alden Carrow's Poetry Podcast, Episode 43. Our last Somerset episode for now — Edward Thomas's Tall Nettles, paired with Simonsbath, where a Victorian fortune is being patiently undone by rain and sedge. Search wherever you listen. #PoetryPodcast #Somerset

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Wednesday's episode makes a case worth sitting with: you don't need a reason to like something. No history, no metaphor required. So — is there a place, or object, or habit you like for absolutely no defensible reason? Go on. #WritingCommunity #PoetryCommunity

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A magnetometer survey at Stanton Drew found over four hundred buried postholes — the largest timber monument found in Britain, invisible from the surface. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry treats the find as the real subject. #DeepTime #NaturePoetry

A wide-angle landscape of a Somerset field at first light, where the morning mist clings to the hollows of the earth. Beneath the surface of the vibrant green turf, translucent, glowing outlines of concentric timber circles are visible, as if revealed by a spectral X-ray. The soil is rich and dark, layered with ancient sediment and limestone fragments. The horizon is sharp, defined by the rugged silhouette of distant tors under a pale, cold sky. The atmosphere is thick with the weight of unrecorded centuries and the damp scent of peat and stone.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Fourteen days until the Kindle edition of Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry. The paperback's been out since the third — if you've been holding off for the ebook specifically, the wait is nearly over. #SomersetInVerse #BritishCountiesInVerse

A wide-angle cinematic view of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Thick, low-lying white mist clings to the dark, waterlogged peat soil and deep green rhynes. In the far distance, the jagged, solid silhouette of a limestone tor rises sharply against a bruised sky of violet and cold amber. The foreground focuses on the tactile precision of frost-tipped sedge grass and the weathered grain of an ancient wooden gatepost. The atmosphere captures the heavy, permanent weight of the earth contrasted with the fleeting, ethereal movement of the morning fog. High-contrast textures of damp stone, reflective water, and soft vapor.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

'There is no slow decay here. / Gardens shorten. Fences hang over the void.' That's Watchet, where the coast is retreating in real time. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry, out now in paperback. #Somerset #NaturePoetry

$A wide-angle landscape of the Watchet coastline where the cliff edge has recently buckled. Jagged layers of blue lias mudstone and grey limestone are exposed in the raw, crumbling precipice. A solitary, weathered wooden fence rail hangs suspended in mid-air over the void, its base lost to the sea. Below, the churning, silt-heavy waters of the Bristol Channel meet a shoreline of dark, wet shingle. The atmosphere is thick with salt-mist under a heavy September sky, highlighting the sharp textures of fractured rock and the damp, dark red earth of the receding garden above. High contrast, cinematic lighting, focused on the visceral boundary between land and water.$

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

A week and a half in, and the strangest part of publishing Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry has been hearing which poems land with people I've never met. Which one, if you've read it, actually stopped you? #NaturePoetry #PoetryCommunity

A wide-angle cinematic shot of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Thick, low-hanging silver mist clings to dark, saturated peat soil and stagnant rhynes. In the distance, the sharp, ancient silhouette of a limestone ridge cuts through the hazy sky. The lighting is cold and ethereal, highlighting the contrast between the solid, unmoving rock and the ephemeral, drifting fog. Detailed textures of damp moss, cracked earth, and reeds shivering in a light breeze.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Ten days since launch. If Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry is half-read on a shelf, the most useful ninety seconds now is finishing it and leaving a rating on Amazon — even just the stars, no essay required. #SomersetInVerse #BritishCountiesInVerse

A wide cinematic view of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Dense, low-lying river mist clings to the dark peat soil and stagnant rhynes. In the distance, the sharp, jagged silhouette of a limestone ridge rises against a pale, bruised purple sky. Wisps of dry moorland grass in the foreground are coated in heavy dew. The light is cold and silver, catching the ripples of a slow-moving water channel. The composition emphasizes the vast, flat expanse meeting the ancient, unyielding hills. High contrast between the dark earth and the ethereal morning fog, capturing a sense of ancient geological permanence against the fleeting atmosphere of the mist.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

A hundred and thirty Roman curse tablets have been recovered from the spring at Bath — mostly complaints about stolen cloaks and coins, addressed to a goddess. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry treats that as evidence, not folklore. #SomersetInVerse #NaturePoetry

A detailed view of a dark, thermal pool at twilight. Thick, swirling mist rises from the water's surface, partially obscuring ancient, hand-hewn limestone walls slick with moisture and vibrant green algae. Deep shadows settle in the weathered crevices of the stone. The water is dark and reflective, showing subtle ripples from a slow, steady subterranean upwelling. The atmosphere is heavy, ancient, and silent, emphasizing the physical weight of the wet stone and the ethereal, fleeting nature of the rising steam. Deep charcoal and mossy green tones dominate the palette.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Still running: suggest a future guest poem and you're entered to win a signed Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry. Email aldencarrow78@gmail.com. In the meantime — whose writing has actually taught you something about paying attention? #PoetryCommunity #Somerset

A cinematic wide-angle photograph of the Somerset Levels at twilight. In the foreground, dark, waterlogged peat and silver-green reeds reflecting a pale, waning light. A dense, ethereal fog rolls across the flat basin, obscuring the horizon. In the far distance, the permanent, rugged silhouette of a limestone escarpment rises against a deep indigo and charcoal sky. Sharp textures of damp stone and soft, blurring vapor. High contrast between the ancient earth and the fleeting atmosphere.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

'They tread the steep pitch of Catherine Hill— / named for the patron saint of the weavers.' That's Frome. The name itself is doing research, not decoration. This week's episode calls that kind of specificity the whole job. #WritingCommunity #NaturePoetry

A steep, narrow alleyway paved with worn, uneven Jurassic limestone cobblestones, slick with a light morning dew. The stones are polished by centuries of footsteps, reflecting a pale, silver light. To the sides, ancient stone walls show the rough texture of weathered mortar and lichen. In the background, a thick, low-hanging mist obscures the distance, creating a sense of timelessness. A single, frayed piece of coarse wool thread is snagged on a sharp edge of a stone in the foreground, vibrating slightly in a cold breeze. The color palette is dominated by muted greys, deep charcoal, and the soft green of moss, capturing the intersection of human industry and enduring geology.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

'Gravity is the only jointing compound.' That's Tarr Steps — a clapper bridge held together by nothing but weight. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry, out now in paperback. #SomersetInVerse #DeepTime

A low-angle, cinematic shot of ancient, massive flat gritstone slabs spanning a clear, rushing moorland river. The stones are weathered, showing heavy textures of orange lichen and deep-set grain, interlocking through sheer weight. Cold, clear water swirls around the base of the slabs, creating small white-water eddies. In the background, a dense woodland of gnarled oaks and vibrant green ferns is partially obscured by a soft, damp morning mist. The color palette is grounded in slate greys, deep forest greens, and the translucent amber of the riverbed. The lighting is filtered and atmospheric, highlighting the raw, geological tension between the unmoving rock and the flowing water.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The line that's stayed with me from tonight's episode isn't mine: precision is the only technology we've ever had for making something last. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry tried applying that to a whole county instead of a person. #WritingCommunity #PoetryPodcast

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

New episode is live: Alden Carrow's Poetry Podcast, Episode 42. A living poet's poem on memory, paired with Bath — teased with 'indifferent to the gods.' Now in full, and what Roman curse tablets have to do with grief. Search wherever you listen. #PoetryPodcast #Somerset

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This week's episode is about what makes writing about loss actually land — not the grand statement, one exact detail. Before we get there: what's one small, specific detail about somewhere you love that a generic description would miss? #WritingCommunity #PoetryCommunity

A cinematic, atmospheric wide shot of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Thick, low-lying river mist clings to the dark, sodden peat of the moorland, partially obscuring a line of ancient, gnarled pollard willow trees. In the foreground, the silver-grey water of a narrow drainage rhyne reflects a pale, bruised violet sky. The texture of damp, emerald moss and weathered wooden fence posts is sharp and tactile. The overall mood is one of quiet, heavy stillness and the intersection of ancient earth with the shifting, ephemeral morning air.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A week out now. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry is on Amazon in paperback, with the Kindle edition following on the 28th. If you've been meaning to pick it up, this is still the week that decides how far it travels. #SomersetInVerse #BritishCountiesInVerse

A vast expanse of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Thick, low-hanging silver mist clings to dark, waterlogged peat trenches and ancient drainage ditches. In the foreground, a single, gnarled pollarded willow tree stands with deeply fissured, moss-covered bark, its skeletal branches reaching toward a pale, bruised purple sky. In the far distance, the sharp, permanent silhouette of a limestone ridge cuts through the soft, ephemeral fog. The ground is a textured patchwork of deep ochre moss, wet silt, and dark, reflective standing water. The lighting is cold and atmospheric, capturing the heavy, damp scent of the moors and the stillness of the prehistoric landscape.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Somewhere in Crowcombe church, two carved Tudor men have been fighting a two-headed dragon on a bench end for five hundred years. Nobody's declared a winner yet. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry has a poem for that too. #Somerset #NaturePoetry

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

'Every fifteen minutes, a fourteenth-century Quarter Jack strikes the bell, / a medieval gear turning beneath the slow creep of the scarp.' That's Wells. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry, out now. #NaturePoetry #DeepTime

A cinematic, wide-angle view of a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills at twilight, where heavy grey mist rolls through the jagged rock faces. In the foreground, a singular, weathered bronze clockwork gear is partially submerged in damp peat and vibrant green moss, its intricate teeth oxidized and cold. The background features the towering, ancient scarp illuminated by a faint, ethereal blue light. The composition emphasizes the contrast between the sharp, metallic textures of the medieval machinery and the soft, eternal presence of the stone and fog. Rich details of water droplets on cold metal and the rough, porous surface of the lichen-covered cliff.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry is out now in paperback on Amazon. The Kindle edition follows on the 28th of September — worth knowing if you've been waiting for the ebook rather than holding off on the whole thing. #SomersetInVerse #BritishCountiesInVerse

A sweeping panoramic view of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Heavy, translucent mist rolls over dark, saturated peat soil and standing water. In the far distance, the jagged, ancient limestone ridges of the Mendips rise sharply into a cold, overcast sky. The foreground features the rough, weathered texture of a lichen-covered stone wall and the soft, ephemeral movement of tall marsh grasses. Atmospheric lighting with a palette of slate grey, deep moss green, and pale silver. High detail on the contrast between solid rock and shifting vapor.

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Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

'Until the island is cut off and returns to itself.' That's Muchelney, which becomes an actual island most winters. Somerset In Verse – Exmoor To Levels In Poetry, out now in paperback. #SomersetInVerse #NaturePoetry

A vast, flooded landscape of the Somerset Levels at dawn. Cold, heavy mist clings to the surface of still, dark water that has swallowed the surrounding fields. In the distance, an ancient stone church tower rises from a solitary, isolated mound of green land, completely encircled by the silver-grey flood. Half-submerged willow trees with skeletal branches break through the water’s mirror-like surface. The color palette is dominated by charcoal, slate blue, and a faint, pale winter light. The composition emphasizes the stark boundary between the permanent ancient stone and the shifting, temporary tide. High detail on the rippled texture of the water and the weathered grain of the distant masonry.

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