Cranford
1842. Cranford is a market town in the North West of England, where it seems that life has always been conducted according to the social rules of an intricate network of ladies. For spinsters Deborah Jenkyns, the arbiter of correctness, and Matty, her demurring sister, the town is a hub of intrigue where everyone talks, and is talked about. New arrivals, social events and scandalous secrets are all discussed and judged. But nothing reverberates like the news that could change the town forever: a railway line from Manchester is coming to Cranford…

Return to Cranford
1844. This two-part feature re-unites the Amazons of Cranford: Miss Pole, Mrs Forrester, Miss Tomkinson and Mrs Jamieson (with her sister-in-law, Lady Glenmire). Miss Matty’s brother, Peter is back from India and Martha’s baby Tilly marks a new addition to the household; Lady Ludlow awaits the return of her son, and wealthy widower, Mr Buxton, is back in town with his ward, Erminia and his handsome son, William. Despite the best efforts of Captain Brown, the railway has stopped five miles outside town, but life never stands still for long and Cranford is about to change in some unexpected ways.