Stuart Aken

@stuartaken

UK writer of fiction (12 books published). Photographer. Environment, science, atheist, humanist, walker, happily married. Find me here: I DO NOT follow DMs, selfie promos & users w/o profiles or posts. Porn will be blocked.

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Stuart Aken@stuartaken· 29d

#ourworldiswonderful; tonight's closing shot is from the Angus Buchanan VC Recreation Ground in Coleford, Forest of Dean. I was driving up to the car park as the sun was sinking behind the tree and the scene caught my attention. There are some very pleasant walks there, too.

The foreground shows the flat, surfaced part of the entrance to a car park. To the left and centre, the trunks of tall mature broadleaf trees dominate, the setting sun shining through the lower branches at the right. Beyond the trees, a flat green field runs into an area with tall sun-dried grasses. In the foreground at the right, a standing stone casts a shadow and a notice stands on two legs casting its shadow.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 12

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot taken on the walk to Ruardean in the Forest of Dean. It's a pleasant wander up tracks that are surfaced. Trees grow in many species either side of the way. And the gentle climb gives wide views.

A wide gravel-surfaced track runs from bottom left, curving as it passes the tress on the left. The right is a hill covered in mature trees with lush vegetation. And the sky above is blue with fluffy white clouds.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 11

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a shot taken from the high point at Symonds Yat. The view is extensive and, if you're lucky, you can watch birds of prey in flight below you. Wonderful!

A wide shot taken from high up. The edge of the forest fills the bottom left corner. The River Wye runs in a curve from centre bottom to the middle, where it vanishes among the trees. The right hand side shows part of the Forest of Dean on a hillside. And the distance shows the hills and wooded areas that the river flows through on its way toward the Severn at Chepstow.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 10

#ourworldiswonderful; the heatwave continues, and our walk today was short and early, so I leave you with a photo from last July, taken on a walk by the River Wye in the Forest of Dean, a very pictorial place.

The calm, almost mirror-surface of the river forms the foreground, with lush vegetation on the opposite bank. Beyond, the field of hay already collected rises up a shallow bank toward a wooded area.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 9

#ourworldiswonderful; this evening, following another heatwave day, I close with a photo of a walk in the Forest of Dean. Look closely along that track and you'll see a couple walking into the distance. Locals may well recognise this place. Make a comment if you do!

A wide gravel path leads forward from the bottom left. To the right and left mature trees line the track. A young couple are walking away in the distance, toward the end of the visible track.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 8

#ourworldiswonderful; after another very hot day here in the Forest of Dean, I close tonight with a shot from a walk up to Serridge Ridge, under those magnificent mature shade trees that line the track.

A dark lane, bare of vegetation, leads up a hill with tall mature broadleaf trees one either side shading the route.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 7

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a picture the absolute opposite of the day we've had. Those storm clouds are from a year ago in the Forest of Dean. Today has been yet another heatwave with clear blue skies!

The foreground is of lush green vegetation including bracken and some small bushes. Beyond, the roof of the forest covers a hill. And a dark grey sky threatens the scene.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 7

I've just published a book review on Medium. It's a practical guide for creators looking for exposure. Well worth the read. You can read my review, which has a free link to the Medium post, using the link below. #BookReview stuartaken.net/2026/07/07/s...

Picture shows the cover of the square book which is yellow with black text saying 'Show Your Work' '10 Ways to share your creativity and get discovered, by Austin Kleon.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 6

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you this evening with a shot taken on a walk beside the River Wye as we made our way to Symonds Yat in the Forest of Dean. It's a smashing walk, if a little steep at the end!

The foreground shows the near bank of the river, with a small tree at the right and another to the left. The river is calm and the far bank is lined with lush green vegetation. Beyond lie open rural fields and then the wooded hillside.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 5

#ourworldiswonderful; this evening, I leave you with a singular oak casting its shadow over the grass of a field on the bank of the River Wye. The sheep are grazing on that fresh food, and the trees beyond are on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

A mature oak tree stands centrally, surrounded by its own shadow on the grass of the wide field in which it stands. A few sheep are grazing just behind it and others are in the shade of the more distant hedgerow, behind which are more trees in full leaf.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 2

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight with a shot from Pan Todd Beacon, Gloucestershire, looking toward Hereford and the Malvern Hills in the far distance. It's an interesting site, and the visit was a worthwhile use of our time.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jul 1

#ourworldiswonderful; tonight, I close with a shot from a walk in the Forest of Dean. The climb to get to this spot is pretty steep, but worth the effort. And there are several rewarding tracks from here to different parts of the forest.

The foreground consists of a steep earth wall to the left and lush bracken to the right. Between curves a reddish gravel path, narrow and bordered by long lush grass. Tall trees rise either side of the path and the background is entirely covered in these.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 30

#ourworldiswonderful; I close tonight with a shot from a walk in the wonderful Forest of Dean. A great place to convene with nature. Enjoy!

A wide gravel path runs from centre bottom through trees bright with fresh green foliage through this natural tunnel to a rise that is an unseen footbridge.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 29

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot of the River Wye as it flows past the edge of the Forest of Dean. If you look carefully just to the right of the tree's reflection, you'll see a heron in flight.

The foreground is the still water of the river, reflecting the tree on the far bank and the sky and also, to the right of the tree's reflection, a heron in flight. The top half of the picture shows the fields and hedgerows of the Welsh countryside across the river that forms a boundary here.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 28

#ourworldiswonderful; after a more moderate day's sunshine and temperature, I leave you with a shot from a recent walk along the Welsh side of the Wye Valley. A gentle walk for much of the way, though at one end, the scramble through the trees clinging to the steep river bank can be challenging!

Sun dried tall grass, awaiting the haymaker, forms the foreground. A barely visible track leads through this vegetation toward the trees on the right side and ahead. The whole lives beneath a blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 26

#ourworldiswonderful; thought, following the third day of extreme heat here, I'd leave you with a shot of a place where cooling down is a real prospect. This is Cornwall, a shot not far from Tintagel, where access to the temperate sea is relatively easy.

A grassy clifftop with some part-buried rocks forms the foreground. Beyond lies the open sea, a thin line of distant cliffs separating the water from the sky full of cloud.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 25

#ourworldiswonderful; on the hottest day so far during this heatwave, I leave you with a shot from this morning's walk in the Forest of Dean taken around 09:00 before the temp became unbearable.

An upright shot of tall larch trees with the morning sun shining through and illuminating the bracken and other low vegetation on the lower part of this steep slope in the Forest of Dean.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 24

#ourworldiswonderful; after a day with temps threatening to reach record highs, I close with a shot taken from the cliff between Bridlington and Flamborough in East Yorkshire. Lovely walks there, and that fresh sea breeze was something I really could've done with today!

Chalk cliffs snake along from the bottom left to the top right, with the beach and sea below.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 23

#ourworldiswonderful; another day of extreme weather here in the Forest of Dean. Let's conserve the beauty that surrounds us by keeping alert to what might just destroy it, eh?

A wide shot from the banks of the River Wye, with lush vegetation in the foreground. The river flows in the river valley and a small gravel island sports grass and a small tree. The far bank bears mature trees and the land slopes upward toward a further band of trees. All lies under a blue sky with white fluffy clouds.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 22

#ourworldiswonderful; been a scorcher here today, with more to come. I leave you with a shot from the top of the cliff that carries part of the Cornish coastal path around the southwest peninsula. This was taken not far from Tintagel.

Small white flowers cover the short grass on the clifftop. Beyond that patch, the green slopes of the gentle coastal hills move off into the distance, with the calm sea just visible in the bottom left corner. A blue sky with much pale cloud overlooks the whole scene.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 21

#ourworldiswonderful; on this hot summer solstice evening, I leave you with a picture from a walk in the beautiful, green Forest of Dean. It's a great place to wander and bathe in nature.

A broad gravel path leads from the base toward a bight tunnel through the trees ahead. Bright sunshine casts light and shade on the path and the ground either side of it.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 19

#ourworldiswonderful; here's a shot taken on a walk beside the River Wye as it winds through the beautiful Forest of Dean. This is part of the route that eventually ends up at Symonds Yat, a place with spectacular views over a wide landscape.

A field of long grass forms the foreground. A low wire fence cuts across it. Beyond, mature trees grace the soft slopes of hills, with a gap between those on the left and those on the right leading up to another hill where the grain crop has recently been harvested. Above is a blue sky patched with fluffy clouds.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 18

#ourworldiswonderful; this evening I leave you with a shot of Goredale Scar in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. This long, winding valley is what's left after the Ice Age melt 1,000s of years ago. The raging torrent that created this landscape is now no more than a pretty, relatively gentle stream.

Rugged limestone cliffs curve around each other, following the course of a stream hidden by its low elevation in the picture. The rocky screes are covered in dry grass and a drystone wall snakes along the base of the hill to the right.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 17

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot of the quiet fishing pond at Waterloo in the Forest of Dean. A peaceful spot for a bit of forest bathing. The demoiselle and dragonflies were quite active whilst I was there.

The blue sky is reflected in the quiet surface of the pond. Mature trees full of vibrant leaves surround the banks and part of the near bank forms a short border at the base.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 16

#ourworldiswonderful; Tonight I finish with a shot taken across the River Wye as it winds through the Forest of Dean. Some really lovely walks along this special waterway. And it's generally a peaceful place, too!

A green grassy field forms the foreground. Beyond lie some bushes in full leaf, with a dark gap between, where the river flows. On the far bank the fields rise up a gentle hill crowned with a wood. A blue sky overlooks the scene and sunshine casts shadows on the fields.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 15

#ourworldiswonderful; I leave you tonight with a shot taken from the coastal path that runs around the entire coast of Cornwall in England. This was shot from the top of the cliffs near Tintagel. There are many such viewpoints along the way. Enjoy!

The foreground contains the edge of a curved grassy slope at the top of a cliff overlooking the sea. Just below, the sea-washed rocks are exposed. And, to the left, the cliffs continue in an arc, rocky steep cliffs with small beaches in their tiny coves.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 14

#ourworldiswonderful; Finishing tonight, after fighting triffids in the garden to create some order there. This is a shot from a walk along the banks of the Wye toward Symonds Yat. A lovely, if slightly demanding walk, worth the effort!

A wide grassy path leads from the base of the picture toward the stand of forest trees in the middle distance at the left. On the right, a mature tree spreads its leafy boughs across the path and the bank from which it grows leads towards those same trees. Beyond, a hill rises covered in mature trees. And all under a pale sky.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 13

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight with a shot of beautiful walking country, the Yorkshire Dales in England. Those rocky outcrops are a common feature of the wild hills. And sheep are the predominant residents here. It's a lovely place to walk and escape from the madness of the world.

Green hills form the base of the picture, climbing gently through a number of contours toward a crowning block of limestone outcrops. Here and there, sheep graze on the grass. And a blue sky patched with fluffy clouds overlooks it all.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 11

#ourworldiswonderful; I finish tonight on a shot taken not far from Hay-on-Wye. It's a track leading to cottage my brother and his wife were staying in whilst exploring the Brecon Beacons. We visited them and took a walk in the countryside there.

A track, formed from two parallel strips of tarmac with grass between, leads uphill with a fence on the right and open fields to the left. It curves around a hill in the distance, passing mature trees and low hills.

Stuart Aken@stuartaken· Jun 10

#ourworldiswonderful; I close this evening with a shot taken from the banks of the River Wye as it flows through the Forest of Dean. From this viewpoint, the river itself is hidden, running in the valley at the bottom of the hill, where the tree line runs.