Audiobooks narrated by Clare Balding

Mark Steel’s in Town: Series 13 & 14: The BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series

"Mark Steel’s award-winning comedy travel show is back, with extended episodes! Listen to two more series of Mark Steel’s award-winning show, in which he explores weird and wonderful towns around the UK and beyond. Mark writes and performs a tailor-made evening of stand-up for local residents, after thoroughly researching their history, people and idiosyncrasies. These towns have nothing in common other than their uniqueness. Listen to this joyful exploration of the UK and discover there’s a lot more to places than meets the eye! Mark’s destinations for Series 13 include Margate, Stoke-on-Trent, Malvern, East Grinstead, Nether Edge and Coleraine in Northern Ireland. He samples the local honey, visits the shops, cafes, a rum keg and the bowls club that once threw out Ronnie Wood for inappropriate behaviour. He listens for the ghost of Elgar, and discovers the magical places where T.S Eliot wrote a verse of The Wasteland, J.M.W Turner painted views of the Harbour, Tracy Emin spent her formative years and Pete Doherty has his name on a wall of fame for eating a 'mega breakfast' in under 20 minutes… In Series 14 Mark pops into Oakham, Wrexham, Cambridge, Lewisham, Lerwick and Unst in Shetland. Joining Mark in Series 14 is Clare Balding, who’s also in town to take him on a ramble around Rutland. He finds himself in a village that's proudly twinned with Paris (even if the Parisians don’t know), finds Europe’s largest man-made lake (which required flooding a local village) and hangs horseshoes the other way round (so the devil falls out, obviously). He travels up the country to the farthest north where Viking heritage meets oil rigs and knitting patterns, where the winter fire festival Up Helly Aa lights up the darkness, and where the locals are masters of making their own fun. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Produced by Carl Cooper Production co-ordinators: Caroline Barlow and Katie Baum Sound Manager: Jerry Peal First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24th Jun - 29th Jul 2024 (series 13) & 7th Oct - 10th Nov 2025 (series 14). ©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Mark Steel (Author), Clare Balding, Mark Steel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pastures New

"‘Funny, sensitive, and insightful – the perfect book to turn to at the end of a long day’ Bonnie Garmus The perfect novel for anyone who has ever dreamt of a fresh start… Alex has unexpectedly inherited a crumbling sheep farm in wildest, wettest Wales. This was not her life plan. Not at all. Armed with only An Idiot’s Guide to Farming, and watched by a wary Welsh terrier, Alex sets out to uncover the truth behind her mysterious inheritance. But as secrets surface, will she pack her bags – or has she landed exactly where she’s meant to be? A joyful celebration of new beginnings, community – and a very stubborn dog. READERS LOVE PASTURES NEW: ‘A funny, heartwarming, emotive journey’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This open and down-to-earth story really captured my heart’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fabulous feel-good read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The wonderful setting, the very special characters and the vibrant and tight-knit community made this book a very special read indeed’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Couldn’t put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Racehorse Who… Collection: 3-book audio collection

"Brought to you by Puffin. Follow Charlie Bass and her horse Nobel Warrior’s journey in this classic, funny animal story collection written and read by Clare Balding. The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop (Book 1) Charlie Bass is a horse-mad nine-year-old who dreams of owning her own pony. So when her eccentric parents announce that they are going to buy a racehorse, Charlie is thrilled. The horse they buy, Noble Warrior, looks the part: strong, fit and healthy. There's just one problem - he won't gallop. In fact he won't even trot round the field without his best friend, Percy, a naughty palomino pony, at his side. But Charlie is convinced that Noble Warrior has what it takes to be a champion - he just needs the right motivation… The Racehorse Who Disappeared (Book 2) Life is slowly getting back to normal for Charlie after her reluctant racehorse, Noble Warrior, won the Derby and saved her family from financial ruin. But drama soon returns to Folly Farm when thieves break into the farmyard in the dead of night and kidnap Noble Warrior! With the police baffled and no trace of the prizewinning thoroughbred to be found, Charlie launches her own investigation… The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance (Book 3) Charlie's racehorse has certainly earned the name Noble Warrior: he won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of nasty kidnappers. But now Noddy is facing his greatest challenge yet . . . Charlie's best friend Polly is still recovering from an accident that left her almost paralysed. But Polly has a real talent with horses - and she and Charlie are determined not to let it go to waste. Can the two best friends find a way to make Polly's equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who wouldn't gallop? ©2016, 2017, 2019 Clare Balding (P)2025 Penguin Audio"

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

Isle of Dogs: My canine adventures through Britain

"Brought to you by Penguin. Every dog must have his day. There's nothing the British love quite as much as their dogs - but did you know that our canine companions have also shaped the history of this sceptred isle? From hunting to our hearths, and from herding to heavy industry, our dogs have accompanied us through centuries of social and economic change, and our relationship is still evolving today. In this fascinating alternative history of Britain, Clare Balding takes us on a journey across the length and breadth of the home nations, exploring our unique heritage of canine tradition and meeting the people who still live, work and innovate with their dogs. A story of companionship, loyalty and good old-fashioned hard work, Isle of Dogs is an unmissable read for anyone whose life has been transformed by a faithful hound. ©2023 Clare Balding (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

Go Wild: A BBC nature collection

"22 BBC radio programmes celebrating the great outdoors, introduced by Harriet Noble Spending time in nature is good for both our bodies and minds - but with our hectic lives (not to mention the unreliable British weather), it can be hard to get outside as much as we'd like. But fear not: we've selected some of BBC Radio 4's best nature documentaries to transport you to the great outdoors - and encourage you to take your own trip into the wild. Discover the tranquility of canoeing down the River Waveney; go rambling in the countryside with Clare Balding; explore al fresco cooking with the Food Programme team and learn the history of Cornwall's colourful flower fields. Or why not go surfing in Scotland, off-grid in Wales or on a journey of a lifetime with Paralympian cyclist Karen Darke? These captivating programmes will let you experience the sights and sounds of nature - from an oak woodland to a rainforest canopy and a rock pool - and introduce you to some remarkable naturalists, such as filmmaker Roger Deakin, author Robert Macfarlane, pioneering ornithologist Emma Turner, writer and poet Nan Shepherd, and perfumer and mountain photographer Walter Poucher. Whether you're an intrepid explorer, a weekend micro-adventurer or simply a nature lover, you're sure to be inspired - so step away from your screen, get out into the open air and enjoy the beauty of the natural world. Contents Cigarette on the Waveney - presented by Roger Deakin Ramblings: In Search of the Old Ways with Robert Macfarlane - presented by Clare Balding Open Country: Nan Shepherd's Cairngorms - presented by Helen Mark The Food Programme: Outdoor Cooking - presented by Sheila Dillon and Simon Parkes One to One: Isabel Hardman on nature and depression Ramblings: George Monbiot in search of the wild - presented by Clare Balding The Life Scientific: Sky at Night with Maggie Aderin-Pocock- presented by Jim Al-Khalili Open Country: Off Grid in Mid-Wales - presented by Ian Marchant A Guide to Coastal Wildlife: Rock Pools - presented by Brett Westwood and Phil Gates Sound recordist: Chris Watson Soundstage: The Oak Woodland Sound recordist: Chris Watson Costing the Earth: Cycle City - presented by Tom Heap Open Country: Surfing on Scotland's North Coast - presented by Helen Mark Journey of a Lifetime - Karen Darke: From Source to Sea via Me Nature: The Rainforest Canopy Recorded by wildlife cameraman John Aitchison Nature: Emma Turner - A Life in the Reeds Sound recordist: Chris Watson The Flower Fields - presented by Michael Bird The Perfumed Mountaineer - presented by Hayden Lorimer Living World: Winter Seashore - presented by Trai Anfield Open Country: The Boat Builders of Pin Mill - presented by Helen Mark Ramblings: Bonding Walks: Stiperstones, Shropshire - presented by Clare Balding Open Country: Somerset Wassail - presented by Helen Mark Winter Starlings Sound recordist: Chris Watson © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Clare Balding, George Monbiot, Harriet Noble, Robert MacFarlane, Roger Deakin (Author), Clare Balding, Harriet Noble, Jim Al-Khalili, Robert Macfarlane, Roger Deakin, Tom Heap (Narrator)

Audiobook

Roger Deakin: A BBC Nature Collection: The legendary naturalist on wild swimming and nature, plus a reading of Wildwood

"An anthology of programmes hosted by and about Roger Deakin, the legendary naturalist, introduced by his friend Robert Macfarlane. Author, filmmaker and conservationist Roger Deakin first came to fame with his bestselling book Waterlog, which brought wild swimming into the mainstream and pioneered the 'new nature writing' genre. Published posthumously, his second travelogue, Wildwood, and collected journals, Notes from Walnut Tree Farm, were also hailed as classics. The collection is introduced by Robert Macfarlane, a dear friend of Roger Deakin's as well as his literary executor. Deakin's life at Walnut Tree Farm is the subject of the two radio soundscapes that open this collection. In The House, he introduces us to his home of almost 40 years, presenting an atmospheric sound portrait of this ancient, timber-framed Suffolk farmhouse - from the sighing of the wind to the scuttling spiders and the chirpings of the swallows up the chimney. The Garden takes us on a tour of the untamed land surrounding it - with its moat, shepherd's hut and the walnut tree that gave the farm its name - offering us an intimate record of the changing seasons. Cigarette on the Waveney sees Deakin paddling his canoe, Cigarette, from the source of the River Waveney at Redgrave Fen in Suffolk to Geldeston Locks in Norfolk. Recorded over several days and nights, this evocative audio diary charts his journey as he captures the sounds of the waterway and its wildlife. Next, in a 5-part abridged reading of Wildwood by Sean Baker, we journey with Deakin from Suffolk in the spring to the Australian outback, in search of what lies behind humanity's profound connection with wood and trees. A radio tribute to Waterlog follows, as anthropologist and wild swimmer Alice Roberts joins friends and fans of Deakin, including Robert Macfarlane, Sue Clifford and Richard Mabey, to celebrate the book's enduring legacy. And in a pair of travel documentaries, we take two delightful day trips with Roger Deakin. In Ramblings, he takes a walk with presenter Clare Balding around his home patch of Diss in Suffolk, and in On the Beach, he spends a summer day on the Essex coast near Clacton, revisiting one of the places he described so vividly in Waterlog: Jaywick Sands. © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd The House Presented by Roger Deakin Produced by Sarah Blunt First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 February 2004 The Garden Presented by Roger Deakin Produced by Sarah Blunt First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 December 2005 Cigarette on the Waveney Presented by Roger Deakin Produced by Sarah Blunt First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 July 2005 Wildwood Read by Sean Baker Abridged by Julian Wilkinson Produced by Amber Barnfather First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18-22 June 2007 Waterlog Presented by Alice Roberts Produced by Sarah Blunt With: Sue Clifford, Richard Mabey, Robert Macfarlane, Joe Minihane and Kate Rew First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 May 2019 Ramblings Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Mark Smalley First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 May 2005 On the Beach Presented by Roger Deakin Produced by Jane Greenwood First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 November 2003"

Roger Deakin (Author), Alice Roberts, Clare Balding, Richard Mabey, Robert Macfarlane, Roger Deakin (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance

"Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance written and read by Clare Balding. Charlie's racehorse has certainly earned the name Noble Warrior: he won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of nasty kidnappers. But now Noddy is facing his greatest challenge yet . . . Charlie's best friend Polly is still recovering from an accident that left her almost paralysed. But Polly has a real talent with horses - and she and Charlie are determined not to let it go to waste. Can the two best friends find a way to make Polly's equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who wouldn't gallop?"

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Racehorse Who Disappeared

"Penguin presents the audio download edition of The Racehorse Who Disappeared written and read by Clare Balding. Life is slowly getting back to normal for Charlie after her reluctant racehorse, Noble Warrior, won the Derby and saved her family from financial ruin. But drama soon returns to Folly Farm when thieves break into the farmyard in the dead of night and kidnap Noble Warrior! With the police baffled and no trace of the prizewinning thoroughbred to be found, Charlie launches her own investigation..."

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop

"Puffin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop, written and read by Clare Balding. Charlie Bass is a horse-mad nine-year-old who dreams of owning her own pony. So when her eccentric parents announce that they are going to buy a racehorse, Charlie is thrilled. The horse they buy, Noble Warrior, looks the part: strong, fit and healthy. There's just one problem - he won't gallop. In fact, he won't even trot round the field without his best friend, Percy, a naughty palomino pony, at his side. But Charlie is convinced that Noble Warrior has what it takes to be a champion - he just needs the right motivation... A classic, funny animal story perfect for fans of Dick King-Smith and My Family and Other Animals."

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

Walking Home: My Family and Other Rambles

"Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of Walking Home, by Clare Balding. In Clare Balding's family, walking just took too long - she galloped through the countryside and she galloped through life. Then, in 1999, Clare took a call from a BBC producer looking for a presenter for a new radio series. 'Do you walk?' she asked. 'Well, I walk the dog . . .' That series, Ramblings, is still going strong - and Clare's caught the walking bug. Now she wants her family to share some of that pleasure. Her and her brother Andrew are determined to conquer the Wayfarer's Walk, a 71 mile route. What could possibly go wrong?"

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Animals and Other Family

"The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of My Animals and Other Family, Clare Balding's wildly funny and deeply moving childhood memoir, read brilliantly by the author herself 'I had spent most of my childhood thinking I was a dog, and I suspect I had aged in dog years. By the time I was ten I had discovered the pain of unbearable loss. I had felt joy and jealousy. Most important of all, I knew how to love and how to let myself be loved. All these things I learnt through animals. Horses and dogs were my family and my friends. This is their story as much as it is mine' Clare Balding grew up in a rather unusual household. As her father is a champion trainer, she shared her life with more than 100 thoroughbred racehorses, mares, foals and ponies, as well as an ever-present pack of boxers and lurchers. As a toddler she would happily ride the legendary Mill Reef and take breakfast with the Queen. She and her younger brother came very low down the pecking order. Left to their own devices, they had to learn life's toughest lessons through the animals, and through their adventures in the stables and the idyllic Hampshire Downs. From the protective Candy to the pot-bellied Valkyrie and the frisky Hattie, each horse and each dog had their own character and their own special part to play. The running family joke was that 'women ain't people'. Clare had to prove them wrong, to make her voice heard - but first she had to make sure she had something to say. My Animals and Other Family is a funny, brave, tender story of self-discovery. 'Moving, funny and larger than life' Michael Morpurgo 'Magical, enchanting, riotously eccentric' Daily Mail 'Funny and moving, James Herriot meets David Sedaris' The Times 'Forthright, thoughtful, funny . . . reads like a Jilly Cooper novel' Sunday Times 'Funny and unexpectedly wise. Balding has lots of good stories to tell. It is impossible not to admire her honesty Mail on Sunday 'She can do anything. If there were four more Clare Baldings, we'd have our empire back. Six, and we'd be colonising the Moon. And there would be crumpets and ashtrays for everyone' Caitlin Moran, The Times 'The reading equivalent of snuggling by the fire with a labrador' The Guardian 'A funny, affectionate memoir' Independent on Sunday 'Charming, refreshingly self-depreciating, funny and moving. Balding tells it with immense flair' Daily Express Clare Balding is an award-winning broadcaster and writer. She became the face of the BBC's racing coverage in 1998, and now works across a wide range of sports for television and radio. She has been a lead presenter for the Olympics, Paralympics, Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games. For more than twelve years, she has hiked across the countryside for the BBC Radio 4 series Ramblings. Clare has presented Countryfile, Britain's Hidden Heritage, Britain By Bike, Crufts, and Famous & Fearless, and has appeared on QI, Have I Got News for You and Sport Relief. She has been voted RTS Sports Presenter of the Year and Racing Broadcaster of the Year. She lives in West London with her partner Alice, their wayward Tibetan Terrier Archie and a cat who couldn't give a damn called Itty. My Animals and Other Family is Clare's first book."

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sport And The British

"Apart from the English language itself, the invention of modern sport has been our major cultural legacy to the rest of the world. In this 30-part narrative history series, with the help of the academic team from the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University, Clare looks at the unique and vital role sport has played, and continues to play, in our national life. Clare travels to Rugby, which can claim to be the birthplace of the modern Olympics, and she also investigates the role our sporting heroes play in shaping national identity - and rivalry. She discovers the vital role gambling has played, as well as the change from amateur to professional sport. From the birth of broadcasting to the way television has changed our relationship with sport forever - via the British Empire and the importance of sport between both world wars - this is a historic series about our national passion and how the British took sport to the world. Due to copyright reasons, this contains edited versions of the episodes that were originally broadcast."

Clare Balding (Author), Clare Balding (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Clare Balding

Join Our Community