Lark Rise to Candleford - Episode Guide

Young country girl Laura Timmins leaves her friends and family in the hamlet of Lark Rise to start her first job at the post office in nearby town Candleford. Postmistress Dorcas Lane gives Laura a warm welcome but other residents of Candleford aren't so generous. When Lark Rise residents challenge the post office's 'eight mile rule' that forces them to pay for delivery of telegrams, Laura finds herself torn between communities.

Postwoman Mrs Macey receives news that her husband Dan has escaped from prison. Before long the whole town is alight with gossip, and Mrs Macey fears that the damage to her reputation will force her to leave Candleford. Meanwhile, her son Freddy has been secretly meeting a mysterious stranger in the woods.

When local widower Old Amos announces his engagement to his maid Patty, the town become suspicious that she may just be after his money.

Robert refuses to let his children sing a song in praise of the Tories at the local church concert, which results in them being banned from the concert altogether.

Robert's stubbornness incurs the wrath of his children, family and even the village.

A strange old man arrives in Candleford looking for his estranged daughters - who turn out to be Ruby and Pearl Pratt. Horrified to see him out in public, playing scams on the local residents, the girls must decide whether they can forgive him for deserting them when they needed him most. Meanwhile, Caroline is being pursued by a bailiff collecting debts for the brewery.

Dorcas is thrown by the surprise arrival of a new Post Office inspector, Mr Rushton, who starts to unearth anomalies in the way Dorcas runs the Post Office. Robert has been carving a decorative angel on the schoolhouse for which he is not getting paid.

Robert takes pity on a homeless family and brings them to stay at his house for the night. In the morning the family have departed, leaving their little daughter Polly behind. Lady Adelaide meets the girl and falls in love with her, wanting to adopt her, but Sir Tim thinks that adopting Polly would be inappropriate. Tim takes Polly to the Post Office where everyone struggles to think of a solution to the problem.

Twister's delusions grow worse as he sees visions of his dead sister, and Queenie worries about his health.

The residents rally around Susan Braby when they realise her husband Sam has hit her. Meanwhile, Timothy commissions Matthew to make new gates for the manor, Adelaide becomes frustrated with how much time Tim is spending with Dorcas and decides to cancel the order for the gates, and Laura brings Phillip home for tea.

A violent storm hits Lark Rise and Candleford, and the arrival of a new teacher, Mr Delafield, causes divisions in the two communities.

Mr Delafield's radical views raise plenty of eyebrows in Candleford, while in Lark Rise he endears himself to the residents. When Dorcas delivers some books to Mr Delafield they initially rub each other up the wrong way, but this tension soon turns to chemistry.

Queenie finds a beautiful embroidered panel on a grave that has the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford intrigued. Twister starts dreaming of everything he could buy if they sold the panel, while Dorcas and Sir Tim set about getting to the bottom of the mystery of who created it. Alf and Phillip's rivalry continues.

It is Zillah's birthday and all her friends and locals visit the post office for a party. Tensions mount between Dorcas and Sir Tim as painful truths about the past begin to surface and Dorcas decides to sell the post office. Phillip becomes increasingly possessive of Laura and she expresses doubts about their relationship.

Lark Rise and Candleford are transformed into magical places as the inhabitants prepare for festivities. Some of the residents find themselves driven to speak difficult truths amid the gift giving and carol singing, however, as loyalties are tested with the arrival of a ragged, bare-footed young women who goes by the name of Cinderella Doe

Who is this beguiling and hypnotic woman and why is she searching for a man who died over 80 years ago? Is she the one who opens up the old family wound when Dorcas and Emma each want to give Laura the same gift for Christmas and Laura finds herself torn between two mothers? Is it the same kind of ghostly or other-wordly menace that drives Cinderella Doe to create havoc, or is it just a yearning for home, family and belonging?

From Lark Rise to London and back to Candleford, James Dowland is the new man in town who takes the woes of the Lark Rise tenants under his wing. He also takes the heart of Dorcas Lane into his keeping, while putting Candleford on the map with the opening of a new hotel.

Robert Timmins is suspicious of Dowland's motives, and is less than accepting of his financial help. Emma Timmins and the other Lark Rise tenants are, however, more than happy to see the return of a once Lark Rise boy.

Meanwhile, Dorcas has her own heart strings pulled with her new maid, Minnie. Minnie can do no right; she means well, but with her troubled past she struggles to contain her excitment, testing Dorcas and those around her to the end.

Battling with her emotions for new arrival James Dowland, Dorcas Lane sets out to defeat the dashing property developer in the parish council elections.

Meanwhile, the grind of making ends meet in Lark Rise proves too much for Robert and Emma Timmins, and Robert's reluctance to change grows stronger.

The death of Miss Ellison's father unites the communities of Lark Rise and Candleford, but amongst the sadness Miss Ellison is confronted by her brother George, and a past she would rather forget.

Overwhelmed with grief, Miss Ellison is oblivious to Thomas Brown's affections for her and his desire for her hand in marriage.

Time rests heavy on the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford, as baby Annie Timmins stirs up emotions of days gone by and loves yet to be found.

And with Emma Timmins feeling the strains of family life, Dorcas Lane offers to lend a helping hand, unaware of the consequences that her generosity will bring.

Lark Rise and Candleford rally around to show support for Laura's new role in the post office when Dorcas Lane is taken ill, but Laura feels pressure mounting when anonymous letters begin to arrive.

Minnie sees the delivery of one of the letters, and fears that her past is catching up with her.

Lark Rise and Candleford are filled with fun and anticipation with the inauguration of a clock, paid for by James Dowland.

But sadness looms for the Timmins family when Robert's means to work is lost, and there is a possibility that Fisher Bloom may leave Candleford unless Laura can find a way to stop him.

The hot summer brings a surprise visitor to Candleford in the form of Celestia Brice Coulson, who stays at the Golden Lion Hotel and becomes acquainted with Dorcas Lane. Dorcas has other things on her mind, however, when she begins 'walking out' with James Dowland.

And in Lark Rise, Emma's father, Old Edmund, arrives for his birthday. But problems arise when Emma asks him to live with them permanently.

A feud between Lark Rise and the neighbouring village of Fordlow has been simmering for three generations, but it takes young love to bring the two communities together and save the day. In Candleford, the path of true love runs less smoothly for Thomas and Miss Ellison; will they ever set the date for the wedding?

Every autumn, Constable Patterson is used to his wife taking to her bed with a mysterious illness. But this year is different, as she gives him permission to seek a new wife.

The constable has no intention of doing any such thing, until a Pratt sister in distress sets his heart soaring.

A sudden storm reveals a secret romance, but also makes the address on a letter indecipherable. When Dorcas pursues the identity of the letter's recipient, she reveals another secret: a child, kept hidden even from his own father.

James Dowland is confined to his hospital bed when his son arrives in Candleford, and Dorcas welcomes the boy into the post office, doing everything she can to make him feel at home.

But this causes a great deal of turmoil when James is released from hospital to be reunited with his son.

A handsome young journalist, Daniel Parish, arrives in Lark Rise with exciting news for the Timmins family: Emma is set to inherit a fortune, enough to move the family to a big house in Candleford. Will the Timmins turn their backs on Lark Rise forever?

Daniel plans to write their rags to riches story for his newspaper, but Dorcas is suspicious of his motives, and when the article is published, it sends shockwaves through the community. Can the growing attachment between Laura and Daniel survive the crisis?

The Bishop is coming to consecrate the church font and Thomas cannot contain his excitement. But when a Lark Rise tree starts to 'bleed', the hamlet becomes rife with talk of witchcraft. Thomas is horrified - this could ruin the Bishop's visit!

The 'witch tree' seems to cast a spell over the whole community - everyone is behaving strangely. Even Dorcas loses her composure and makes a blunder with terrible consequences for Pearl and Ruby. Laura, too, is thrown off balance when Daniel returns to try and win back her affections - but first he has to get around an angry Robert and Emma.

Thomas is determined to restore order. But how will he undo the tree's awful curse?

Alf throws a party to celebrate moving into a cottage of his own. He entertains his guests with a new song, and its haunting words have a profound effect on all of them.

Edmund rebels against his parents; Thomas and Margaret have their first marital tiff; and Dorcas's plans to prepare Minnie for marriage and motherhood backfire terribly.

How will harmony be restored? And what are the contents of the strange and wonderful parcel that arrives at the post office, which Minnie wants to keep a secret?

It's harvest time - the most important time of the year in Lark Rise, when everyone helps to bring in the wheat that will feed them through winter. So when an epidemic hits it couldn't come at a worse time - with so many sick, how will they gather the wheat and prevent a winter of starvation? Help comes from an unlikely source, but just when it looks as though their problems are solved, they discover the worst is yet to come.

Everyone is talking about the mysterious recluse, Mr Reppington, who's been hiding at the Golden Lion Hotel for months. Why is he here, and why is he handing out money to local widows?

Dorcas is fascinated by his lonely existence and is determined to entice him back into the world. Can she succeed, and will she discover his true identity and the dark secret which has brought him to Candleford?

Daniel has opened a newspaper in Candleford and is on the look out for a big story. So when old Peg Leg, a Crimean war veteran, arrives for his annual visit to the Timmins', and Daniel learns he has received no war pension, he starts a newspaper campaign against this injustice.

But just as Peg Leg's plight looks set to become a national cause celebre, Emma learns that he is not all he seems, a discovery that threatens to break hearts and destroy Daniel's new venture.

The locals are rehearsing for their annual production of St George and the Dragon when they hear rumours that Sir Timothy has returned. They are thrilled at the prospect of performing it for the squire himself, but with the play fast approaching and no sign of Sir Timothy, Dorcas decides to pay him a visit. She finds only Lady Adelaide. As the two women come face to face they are forced to confront their shared history, learning more about each other than they could have imagined.

Pearl is in a state of panic. She has received a dressmaking commission which could save her ailing business, but without Ruby, there is no way she can do the work in time. So when Enid, a talented seamstress, arrives in Candleford looking for a job, it seems Pearl's prayers have been answered.

Pearl and Enid form an instant bond, based on mutual admiration and respect. But when Pearl discovers the seamstress is not who says she is, she is forced to choose between their friendship and her deepest prejudices.

When the Lark Rise school loses its teacher, Emma steps in and discovers a talent she never knew she had. But Margaret also covets the role of schoolteacher, and the two women become rivals for the job.

Over in Candleford, Thomas and Dorcas are at odds. The postman is agitating for better working conditions, and Dorcas isn't taking it well. But when they each learn of the deeper reasons behind their stubbornness, will they be able to put their own needs aside for the sake of their community?

When the local Lark Rise gossip Mrs Mullins discovers her daughter Emily is pregnant, she leaps to the conclusion that Daniel is the father. Everyone, including Laura, rallies round to defend him. But when Daniel's behaviour starts to arouse suspicion, and people begin to doubt him, Dorcas is determined to uncover the truth. Can Laura and Daniel's relationship survive the crisis?

Mischief Night is approaching and the folks of Lark Rise and Candleford are excitedly planning tricks to play on their neighbours. But Laura is in no mood for silly pranks - Fisher Bloom has returned, intent on winning her back, and it has thrown her feelings for Daniel into turmoil.

Pearl and Edmund are determined to protect Daniel and Laura from heartbreak, but will their mischievous tricks to make Fisher leave succeed, and how will Daniel respond to a rival for Laura's affections?

When the postmaster at Inglestone, with an old score to settle, tries to force Dorcas into selling up, she is faced with the heartbreaking prospect of losing her home and denying Sydney his dream of running the post office one day. But can Dorcas, with the help and determination of her staff and her friends, find a way to save the post office and their jobs? And with Laura torn between the love of two men, Daniel and Fisher, who will she choose?

The new series opens with the arrival of Gabriel Cochrane, the once-wealthy owner of a large iron foundry. The bank has repossessed his home and business, his young wife has died, and Gabriel finds himself looking for a new start. The people of Candleford take him to their hearts, and Dorcas offers him a job and a home. But will their kindness be enough to save him, or will he let his vendetta against the bank, and his grief over his dead wife, prevent him rebuilding his fortunes and finding happiness again?

When Daniel announces that his newspaper is launching a poetry competition, the folks of Lark Rise and Candleford are thrown into a frenzy of creative writing. Pearl, Margaret and Alfie all vie to take home the trophy with their poetic offerings, but Ruby is spreading a rumour that Laura and Daniel have fixed the outcome of the competition. What can Ruby's motive be for such malicious trouble making, and what will Dorcas do with the shocking information she has uncovered about Gabriel's late wife?

Thomas is euphoric when he lands the job of organising the church bazaar. But his joy soon evaporates when the vicar falls ill, and the controversial and free-thinking curate Reverend Marley takes charge.

Thomas is convinced that Marley is evil incarnate, and when he comes across a snake on his postal rounds, he sees it as a sign that the devil is indeed amongst them.

Though the curate is famous for his charity, Alf is unsettled by rumours of Marley's dark past and his late night visits to the Timmins' cottage. But will he uncover the truth about Marley, and will they ever catch the snake?

The Fair has come to town, and the locals are celebrating - Alf has been crowned King of the Fair, while Queenie has won a whole pig! The Lark Risers start fattening up the pig in preparation for a sumptuous pig feast, but Twister cannot resist the temptation of selling off-cuts of the animal to the people of Candleford.

At the post office, Gabriel is proving to be a less than perfect house guest; can Dorcas adapt to having a man under her roof? And will Twister survive the wrath of Queenie when she discovers he has sold her pig from under her?

Daniel is planning a cricket match against a neighbouring village team, who he is convinced cheated in their last match. He is determined to restore Candleford's honour, but most of Daniel's regular players are away, and the men of Larkrise are cricketing novices.

A humiliating defeat looks certain, until Daniel discovers that the finest batsman in the county is right under his nose. The only problem is, his batsman is a batswoman, and the rules state women cannot play.

Will Daniel find a way round the regulations and gain the victory he so desperately wants? And what will it cost his relationship with Laura?

Gabriel has finally completed the machine which he hopes will restore his fortunes, and farmers are soon clamouring to buy his ingenious invention. Dorcas is delighted for him, until she realises it could mean his departure from Candleford.

Meanwhile, Caroline has returned to Lark Rise, and Minnie assumes it's only a matter of time before Alf comes to propose, now that his ma is back to look after her children. But will Caroline settle this time and allow Alf his freedom? And how will Gabriel react to a surprising admission from Dorcas?