Listen free for 30 days
-
On the Marsh
- A Year Surrounded by Wildness and Wet
- Narrated by: Simon Barnes
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Sociology
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £14.39
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
My Garden World
- The Natural Year
- By: Monty Don
- Narrated by: Monty Don
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My Garden World by Monty Don is a celebration of every living creature that we all share. This year has given us the enforced opportunity to learn more about the fascinating natural world around us. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Monty's observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us. My Garden World is Monty Don's personal journey through the natural year, month by month, season by season, observed from the immediate world around him.
-
-
A glimmer of light in this, our troubled lives.
- By Carol Hollis on 19-01-22
-
Orchard
- A Year in England’s Eden
- By: Benedict Macdonald, Nicholas Gates
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the Wainwright-Conservation-Prize-winning author of Rebirding Spend a year in an orchard, celebrating its imperilled, overlooked abundance of life. England's ancient orchards, collaborations between people and nature, are sources of hope for the future. Protecting them promises a far richer England for the centuries to come, for wildlife and for us.
-
-
A must listen to for all those who love nature
- By CB1 on 18-09-20
-
A Sting in the Tale
- By: Dave Goulson
- Narrated by: Dave Goulson
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee is now extinct in the UK but still exists in the wilds of New Zealand, descended from a few queen bees shipped over in the 19th century. A Sting in the Tale tells the story of Goulson’s passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land and contains groundbreaking research into these curious creatures, history’s relationship with the bumblebee, the disastrous effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.
-
-
Saving the Bumblebee
- By Rob Mellowship on 16-07-19
-
Back to Nature
- Conversations with the Wild
- By: Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin
- Narrated by: Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Optimistic field notes from the new normal for nature. One thing has become clear this year - we need nature more than ever. And although the natural world has never been more under pressure, there are still reasons to be hopeful. Through personal stories, conservation breakthroughs and fascinating scientific discoveries, Back to Nature captures the essence of how we feel about the wildlife outside our windows.
-
-
Transported to a childhood world
- By Hesseawakes on 13-12-20
-
A Complete Guide to British Birds
- And Their Calls and Songs
- By: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: Stephen Moss, Brett Westwood
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Presenter Brett Westwood joins forces with BAFTA award-winning producer and naturalist Stephen Moss for six delightful and informative series, introducing us to some of Britain's most popular and best-loved birds. Together with wildlife sound recordist Chris Moss, they tour the UK, tracking down the rich variety of species that make their home there - from garden and woodland birds to ones that live on water, by the coast, on farms and in the mountains and moors.
-
-
Entertaining and very informative
- By Skybluejon on 29-12-21
-
A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion
- By: Simon Barnes
- Narrated by: Simon Barnes
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simon Barnes is one of Britain's leading bird writers and humorists. His weekly column in The Times (London), his essays for the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) magazine, and his two books on bad bird-watching have made him one of the characters of the bird world.
-
-
A great birdwatching book!
- By j f wilson on 15-02-15
-
My Garden World
- The Natural Year
- By: Monty Don
- Narrated by: Monty Don
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My Garden World by Monty Don is a celebration of every living creature that we all share. This year has given us the enforced opportunity to learn more about the fascinating natural world around us. Whether you live in the countryside or the town, Monty's observations and insights are relevant to each and every one of us. My Garden World is Monty Don's personal journey through the natural year, month by month, season by season, observed from the immediate world around him.
-
-
A glimmer of light in this, our troubled lives.
- By Carol Hollis on 19-01-22
-
Orchard
- A Year in England’s Eden
- By: Benedict Macdonald, Nicholas Gates
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the Wainwright-Conservation-Prize-winning author of Rebirding Spend a year in an orchard, celebrating its imperilled, overlooked abundance of life. England's ancient orchards, collaborations between people and nature, are sources of hope for the future. Protecting them promises a far richer England for the centuries to come, for wildlife and for us.
-
-
A must listen to for all those who love nature
- By CB1 on 18-09-20
-
A Sting in the Tale
- By: Dave Goulson
- Narrated by: Dave Goulson
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee is now extinct in the UK but still exists in the wilds of New Zealand, descended from a few queen bees shipped over in the 19th century. A Sting in the Tale tells the story of Goulson’s passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land and contains groundbreaking research into these curious creatures, history’s relationship with the bumblebee, the disastrous effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.
-
-
Saving the Bumblebee
- By Rob Mellowship on 16-07-19
-
Back to Nature
- Conversations with the Wild
- By: Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin
- Narrated by: Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Optimistic field notes from the new normal for nature. One thing has become clear this year - we need nature more than ever. And although the natural world has never been more under pressure, there are still reasons to be hopeful. Through personal stories, conservation breakthroughs and fascinating scientific discoveries, Back to Nature captures the essence of how we feel about the wildlife outside our windows.
-
-
Transported to a childhood world
- By Hesseawakes on 13-12-20
-
A Complete Guide to British Birds
- And Their Calls and Songs
- By: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: Stephen Moss, Brett Westwood
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Presenter Brett Westwood joins forces with BAFTA award-winning producer and naturalist Stephen Moss for six delightful and informative series, introducing us to some of Britain's most popular and best-loved birds. Together with wildlife sound recordist Chris Moss, they tour the UK, tracking down the rich variety of species that make their home there - from garden and woodland birds to ones that live on water, by the coast, on farms and in the mountains and moors.
-
-
Entertaining and very informative
- By Skybluejon on 29-12-21
-
A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion
- By: Simon Barnes
- Narrated by: Simon Barnes
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simon Barnes is one of Britain's leading bird writers and humorists. His weekly column in The Times (London), his essays for the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) magazine, and his two books on bad bird-watching have made him one of the characters of the bird world.
-
-
A great birdwatching book!
- By j f wilson on 15-02-15
-
Cornerstones
- Wild Forces That Can Change Our World
- By: Benedict Macdonald
- Narrated by: Joshua Picton
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Our precious archipelago is ravaged by climate change, bereft of natural ecosystems and lies at the mercy of global warming, flooding, drought and catastrophic biodiversity loss. But could restoring species that once helped protect our islands help turn this crisis around? From familiar yet imperilled honeybees and ancient oak woods to returning natives like beavers and boars, Britain’s cornerstone species may hold the key to recovering our biodiversity on land and in our seas.
-
Rewild Yourself
- 23 Spellbinding Ways to Make Nature More Visible
- By: Simon Barnes
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mammals you never knew existed will enter your world. Birds hidden in treetops will shed their cloak of anonymity. With a single movement of your hand you can make reptiles appear before you. Butterflies you never saw before will bring joy to every sunny day. Creatures of the darkness will enter your consciousness. And as you take on new techniques and a little new equipment, you will discover new creatures and, with them, new areas of yourself that had gone dormant. Once put to use, they wake up and start working again.
-
-
Meh
- By SuperCat on 04-04-21
-
Curlew Moon
- By: Mary Colwell
- Narrated by: Jane McDowell
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Curlew Moon, Mary Colwell takes us on a 500 mile journey on foot from the west coast of Ireland to the east coast of England, to discover what is happening to this beautiful and much-loved bird. She sets off in early spring, when the birds are arriving on their breeding grounds, watches them nesting in the hills of Wales and walks through England when the young are hatching. She finishes her walk on the coast of Lincolnshire when the fledglings are trying out their wings. This is also the place many curlews will return to for the winter months.
-
-
Eye opening read that should be compulsory to adults and children
- By Linda Nicholson on 23-10-19
-
Wonderland
- A Year of Britain's Wildlife, Day by Day
- By: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A life-affirming nature diary - with something amazing to see and experience on every day of the year - from award-winning authors and Springwatch experts Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss. From blackbirds, beavers and beetles to tawny owls, natterjack toads and lemon slugs. Every day of the year, winter or summer, in every corner of the British Isles, there's plenty to see if you know where - and how - to look.
-
-
Good but lacks real narrative
- By Oliver Silver on 04-12-19
-
Still Water
- The Deep Life of the Pond
- By: John Lewis-Stempel
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The pond. Nothing in the countryside is more humble or more valuable. It’s the moorhen’s reedy home, the frog’s ancient breeding place, the kill zone of the beautiful dragonfly. More than a hundred rare and threatened fauna and flora depend on it. Written in gorgeous prose, Still Water tells the seasonal story of the wild animals and plants that live in and around the pond, from the mayfly larvae in the mud to the patrolling bats in the night sky above.
-
-
Love this book
- By T. Griffith on 11-10-19
-
The Consolation of Nature
- Spring in the Time of Coronavirus
- By: Michael McCarthy, Jeremy Mynott, Peter Marren
- Narrated by: Stephen Boxer, David Shaw Parker, Charles Armstrong
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nature took on a new importance for thousands of people when the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Britain, providing solace in a time of great anxiety - not least because the crisis struck at the beginning of spring, the season of hope and renewal, and furthermore, in an extraordinary conjunction, the spring of 2020 turned out to be the loveliest spring ever recorded in Britain. Three nature writers, living like everyone else under lockdown, but walking out each day to exercise, resolved to record their experiences of the coronavirus spring, in widely contrasting parts of the country.
-
-
Experiential journey through Spring
- By S. Todd on 29-10-20
-
Skylarks with Rosie
- A Somerset Spring
- By: Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: Stephen Moss
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As spring arrives, Stephen Moss’ Somerset garden is awash with birdsong: chiffchaffs, wrens, robins and more. Overhead, buzzards soar, ravens tumble and the season gathers pace. But this equinox is unlike any other. As the nation goes into lockdown, Stephen records the wildlife around his home, with his fox-red Labrador, Rosie, by his side. When old routines fall away, and blue skies are no longer crisscrossed by contrails, they discover the bumblebees, butterflies and birdsong on their local patch.
-
The Forager's Calendar
- By: John Wright
- Narrated by: John Wright
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A month by month handbook for foraging in the woods, fields and seashores of Great Britain. Look out of your window, walk down a country path or go to the beach in Great Britain and you are sure to see many wild species that you can take home and eat. From dandelions in spring to sloe berries in autumn, via wild garlic, samphire, chanterelles and even grasshoppers, our countryside is full of edible delights in any season.
-
-
unexpected delight
- By lindapenname on 13-04-21
-
Rebirding
- Rewilding Britain and Its Birds
- By: Benedict Macdonald
- Narrated by: Angus Scott
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rebirding takes the long view of Britain’s wildlife decline, from the early taming of our landscape and its long-lost elephants and rhinos, to fenland drainage, and the removal of cornerstone species such as wild cattle, horses, beavers and boar. Forward in time, it also covers the intensification of our modern landscapes and the collapse of invertebrate populations.
-
-
You will look at the world through different eyes.
- By connor on 06-02-21
-
Notes from Walnut Tree Farm
- By: Roger Deakin
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Calming, thought-provoking, poetic and honest, Notes from Walnut Tree Farm is a collection of writing and musing by documentary-maker, environmentalist and author of Waterlog Roger Deakin. For the last six years of his life, Roger Deakin kept notebooks. In them, he wrote his daily thoughts, feelings and observations about and around his Suffolk home, Walnut Tree Farm. Collected here are the very best of these writings, capturing his extraordinary, restless curiosity about nature as well as his impressions of our changing world.
-
-
surprisingly thorough portrait
- By frosty on 11-03-21
-
Birds in Town and Village
- By: William Henry Hudson
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Henry Hudson was a founding member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Though born in Argentina, Hudson came to England in 1874, where he remained until his death in 1922. Absorbed by nature, and in particular by the lives and activities of birds, his acute observations on wildlife led to some charming books which helped establish the pastime of bird watching. Birds in Town and Village is one of his classics. It is a truly engaging rumination on birds, as he watched them go about their daily lives. It is unfailingly charming, and read with an easy, relaxed tone by Neville Jason.
-
Wildwood
- A Journey Through Trees
- By: Roger Deakin
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A much-loved classic of nature writing from environmentalist and the author of Waterlog, Roger Deakin, Wildwood is an exploration of the element wood in nature, our culture and our lives. From the walnut tree at his Suffolk home, he embarks upon a quest that takes him through Britain, across Europe, to Central Asia and Australia, in search of what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with wood and trees.
-
-
Truly Awesome
- By Anonymous User on 17-02-21
Summary
How the rewilding of eight acres of Norfolk marshland inspired a family and brought nature even closer to home.
When writer Simon Barnes heard a Cetti's warbler sing out as he turned up to look at a house for sale, he knew immediately that he had found his new home. The fact that his garden backed onto an area of marshy land only increased the possibilities, but there was always the fear that it might end up in the wrong hands and be lost to development or intensive farming. His wife saw through the delicate negotiations for the purchase. Once they'd bought it, they began to manage it as a conservation area, working with the Wildlife Trust to ensure it became as appealing as possible to all species. For their son Eddie, who has Down syndrome, it became a place of calm and inspiration.
In On The Marsh, we see how nature can always bring surprises and share in the triumphs as new animals - Chinese water deer, otters and hedgehogs - arrive, and watch as the number of species of bird tops 100 and keeps on growing. As the seasons go by, there are moments of triumph when not one but two marsh harrier families use the marsh as a hunting ground but also disappointments as chemical run-off from neighbouring farmland creates a nettles monoculture in newly turned earth.
For anyone who enjoyed books such as Meadowland or the writing of Stephen Moss, Roger Deakin or Adam Nicolson, this is a vivid and beautifully told account of the wonders that can sometimes be found on our doorsteps and how nature can transform us all.
More from the same
What listeners say about On the Marsh
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JPA
- 17-10-20
Delightful, informative and gives me hope!
An absolute pleasure to listen to. I laughed, could have wept, and learnt things about birds, wildlife general, ecosystems and people.
Read and enjoy. I especially enjoyed the poems.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jan
- 12-05-21
Enchanting
As I live nearby to the author I have learned so much about this area and it’s wildlife. With lovely humour and a few Withnail quotes he’s my kinda guy. A touching insight into his son’s world and the joys of seeing things through the eyes of a young man with Downs and the fascinating hidden world on my doorstep. Will absolutely now read Rewild Yourself.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Kindle Customer
- 28-03-20
Nature writing at it's best.
Thoroughly recommend this audio book for anyone who enjoys listening in this case to someone who can transport the listener / reader to the magical experience of the wilderness through the knowledge & enthusiasm of the writer. I have a number of Simon Barnes books in paperback. But to be able to listen to the author has felt like being in his company in and sharing his world of nature from his patch of it.
Hopefully listening to this book will encourage others with an interest in nature to get out and explore their own patch of nature wherever possible and lift one's spirits.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Caroline
- 01-05-20
Wonders of Wild Norfolk
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the adventures of Simon, Eddy and Cindy in Norfolk. I lived there for a couple of years with a very keen birder so it felt as if I was whisked away down memory..... marsh. To enjoy carefree days watching, listening and marvelling at the beautiful wonders of the natural world in Norfolk Simon writes and reads with love, humour and passion and it has been a pleasure to listen to the audio book. Thank you
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Norma
- 09-08-21
I loved it
Loved it! If you love nature and want to know more this is the book
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- gospodja
- 21-11-20
Loved this
I loved this account of life “on the marsh” by an author with a true appreciation for nature. It has inspired me to do something similar myself!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ke Donn
- 21-07-20
Throughly enjoyable
This is a beautiful journal with many heart touching moments not least about Eddie all the marsh brings him
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- coz
- 13-07-20
lovely listen
part memoir, part ode to nature. A celebration of birds, wildlife and family life. I really enjoyed it!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bunnyhunt
- 16-06-20
A breath of fresh air
In these troubled times it is reassuring to hear that nature carries on regardless and hopefully may do so and when mankind finally destroys itself maybe the planet will renew and repair the damage we have done. Have long admired Simon Barnes's style of writing and will continue to seek out his work.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- snapdog
- 04-05-20
A beautiful book
Loved the book , It will be played more than once. ,so good I'm also buying it for a friend. Well written and well read . I loved the poems by Eddie .