iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 1m

If posts like this are well received I may upload one every 14 days, let me know in the comments.......

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 15m

Last week's ruin was broken by people. This week's wasn't. Malham Cove is pure process — ice, meltwater, 330 million years of limestone. North Yorkshire In Verse tells both kinds of story. #DeepTime #NorthYorkshire

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 23h

Writing Malham Cove, I kept reaching for 'lost' and 'vanished' — words that tell you to feel something without showing you anything. The river isn't lost. It's underground. That shift changed the poem. #MoorToShore #AldenCarrow

A cinematic, wide-angle shot of the limestone pavement at the top of Malham Cove in North Yorkshire. The massive, weathered grey limestone blocks are deeply scarred with dark, mossy crevices known as grykes. A heavy, mist-laden sky hangs low, casting a soft, cool light that emphasizes the rugged, ancient texture of the stone. In the background, the dramatic vertical drop of the white limestone cliff curves away into the valley. The scene feels solid and eternal, capturing the tactile surface of the rock, damp from recent rain, hinting at the unseen power of water moving through hidden fissures deep below the surface. Focus on the intricate, pitted patterns of the stone and the vast, silent scale of the landscape.

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

In 1819, Wordsworth looked at Malham Cove and wondered if giants dug it. Nice try, William. It was 330 million years of limestone and one very patient ice age. #PoetryPodcast #Yorkshire

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

If today's episode sent you looking for Malham Cove the poem, it's in North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry. Full retailer list: buff.ly/fREODib #MoorToShore #MalhamCove

buff.ly

Available now at your favorite digital store!

North Yorkshire In Verse - Moor To Shore In Poetry by Alden Carrow

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The river went underground. The cove kept its shape. New episode of the podcast is live now — Tennyson's In Memoriam, paired with Malham Cove, carved by ice and time alone. #PoetryPodcast #MalhamCove

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

76 poems. 330 million years of Yorkshire limestone. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry, available now. #MoorToShore #Poetry

020

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Wednesday's episode: Tennyson grieving his closest friend while geology quietly dismantles his sense of permanence, paired with a Yorkshire cliff shaped by nothing but ice and time. New episode, Wednesday 6am. #PoetryPodcast #MalhamCove

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Helmsley Castle, Whitby Abbey, or Malham Cove (new this week) — which North Yorkshire landmark would you actually get on a train for? Tell me which, and why. #NorthYorkshire #Poetry

A cinematic wide-angle photograph capturing the rugged geological diversity of North Yorkshire under a heavy, dramatic October sky. In the foreground, the deep, weathered fissures and silver-grey "clints" of Malham Cove’s limestone pavement are wet with rain, reflecting the pale light. In the mid-ground, the jagged, skeletal remains of a Gothic abbey rise like a dark splinter against the horizon. The lighting is cold and atmospheric, casting long, deep shadows across the stone. The textures are tactile and sharp: the grain of ancient rock, the moss clinging to damp crevices, and the distant, hazy blur of the moors. No people, just the enduring, silent weight of the landscape.

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry reads landscape the way Macfarlane, Armitage and Jamie do: geology and weather, not sentiment. 76 poems. At Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Foyles and beyond. #MoorToShore #NorthYorkshire

A dramatic wide-angle view of the North Yorkshire coastline where dark, jagged shale cliffs meet a churning, slate-gray North Sea. In the distance, the deep purple and brown expanse of the moors rises under a heavy, bruised sky. The lighting is cold and atmospheric, highlighting the rough, ancient textures of wet stone and the white foam of salt spray. The air looks thick with damp mist and the impending weight of rain, capturing a raw, unyielding landscape shaped by deep time and harsh weather. No people, just the visceral intersection of rock, water, and wind.

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

That's the week: a vanished Roman city, a castle broken on purpose, and the question of who really did it. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry — Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's, Foyles, and beyond. buff.ly/fREODib #MoorToShore #NorthYorkshire

buff.ly

Available now at your favorite digital store!

North Yorkshire In Verse - Moor To Shore In Poetry by Alden Carrow

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Half a tower, still standing at full height, with the other half simply gone. That's Helmsley Castle — and maybe every ruin worth writing about: not erased, just told plainly what happened to it. #MoorToShore #Poetry

A cinematic, low-angle shot of the ruined Great Keep at Helmsley Castle on a crisp, overcast October afternoon. The image captures the dramatic vertical split of the tower, showing the jagged, raw edges of the exposed inner masonry against a pale, silvery sky. The weathered grey limestone is rich with texture, featuring patches of orange lichen and deep crevices. In the foreground, the lush green grass of the bailey is scattered with a few fallen golden leaves. The lighting is soft and directional, highlighting the contrast between the solid, standing wall and the empty space where the rest of the structure once stood. Distant damp stone walls and the faint silhouette of autumnal trees provide a sense of depth and historical scale.

020

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Weekend task: find a ruin near you and ask who actually broke it. Report back. #Yorkshire #Poetry

Rugged North Yorkshire moor with a sunlit ruined dry‑stone shelter and lichen‑covered stones under a dramatic sky, shown alongside a book cover reading "North Yorkshire In Verse - Moor To Shore In Poetry" by Alden Carrow, linking the landscape to a poetry collection.

130

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This week's research trail: a besieged castle, a general granted the ruin, and a duke who married his way back into it. Half of writing this book is just following the deed. #NatureWriting #Poetry

A detailed, atmospheric shot of a weathered stone castle ruin in North Yorkshire. The focus is on the tactile texture of the ancient, lichen-covered masonry and a crumbling archway. In the foreground, a heavy, yellowed parchment document with elegant, faded ink calligraphy is spread across a rough-hewn wooden surface. The lighting is dramatic and low-angled, highlighting the deep crevices in the stone and the tactile, crinkled quality of the historical deed. The background shows the silhouette of a jagged keep against a brooding, stormy sky, capturing a sense of enduring weight and forgotten history. Rich earth tones, cold grey stone, and deep shadows.

021

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Every episode pairs a guest poem with one of my own. Suggest the next one — email aldencarrow78@gmail.com — and you're entered to win a signed copy of North Yorkshire In Verse. #PoetryPodcast #AldenCarrow

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Ruin poems love passive verbs: crumbles, fades, is lost. North Yorkshire In Verse – Moor To Shore In Poetry tries to name the actual hand instead — ice, frost, or somebody's gunpowder. #DeepTime #NorthYorkshire

A hyper-detailed, close-up shot of a weathered gritstone wall belonging to a ruined moorland structure in North Yorkshire. Deep, jagged fissures in the dark grey stone are filled with sharp, crystalline white frost. The late afternoon October sun, low on the horizon, casts long, dramatic shadows across the rough, pitted texture of the masonry, highlighting every grain and crack. In the blurred background, the vast, bleak expanse of the heather-covered moors is shrouded in a heavy, cold mist. The atmosphere is somber, tactile, and ancient, emphasizing the physical impact of freezing temperatures and geological time on the solid material.

010

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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.

000

Alden Carrow | British Counties In Verse @aldencarrow.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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

011

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

buff.ly

Available now at your favorite digital store!

North Yorkshire In Verse - Moor To Shore In Poetry by Alden Carrow

000

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

000

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.

011

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

000

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.

000

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

000

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

buff.ly

Available now at your favorite digital store!

North Yorkshire In Verse - Moor To Shore In Poetry by Alden Carrow

000

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.

011

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.

010

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.

010

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

000

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.

011

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

000

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

000

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

buff.ly

Available now at your favorite digital store!

North Yorkshire In Verse - Moor To Shore In Poetry by Alden Carrow

000

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

000

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.

010

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

000

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.

000

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.

091

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

031

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.

010

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

010

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.

000

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.

000

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.

000

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.

000

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

020

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

000