On the Marsh

A Year Surrounded by Wildness and Wet

Preview

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free

Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.

Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.

Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.

Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

On the Marsh

By: Simon Barnes

Narrated by: Simon Barnes

Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £13.64

About this listen

'He does write beautifully, especially of his greatest love — our wild birds...On The Marsh is a delightful read.' – Christopher Hart, Daily Mail

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's 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.

Simon BarnesSimon BarnesSimon & Schuster Audio UK

Nature & Ecology

Outdoors & Nature

Rural

Science

Sociology

Inspiring

Heartfelt

Thought-Provoking

Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Rural Science Sociology Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

'He does write beautifully, especially of his greatest love — our wild birds ... On The Marsh is a delightful read.' (Christopher Hart)

Most relevant

An in depth picture of the marshland that Simon and his wife bought as an extension to their Norfolk garden. Written with passion and deep knowledge, it brings the inhabitants of the marshland to life - the changing seasons, the residents, the coming and going of migratory birds and, above all the need for joined up wild areas. A delight for anyone who loves Nature.