Return to Cranford
Encyclopedia
Return to Cranford is the two-part second season of a British
television series directed by Simon Curtis. The teleplay
by Heidi Thomas
was based on material from two novella
s and a short story by Elizabeth Gaskell
published between 1849 and 1863: Cranford
, The Moorland Cottage and The Cage at Cranford. Themes from My Lady Ludlow
, Mr Harrison's Confessions and The Last Generation in England
are included to provide continuity with the first series
.
The two-part Christmas special was transmitted in the UK by BBC One
in December 2009. In the United States
, it was broadcast by PBS
as part of its Masterpiece Theatre
series in January 2010. Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Deborah Findlay, and Barbara Flynn reprised their roles, with Jonathan Pryce
, Celia Imrie
, Lesley Sharp
, Nicholas Le Prevost
, Jodie Whittaker
, Tom Hiddleston
, Michelle Dockery
, Matthew McNulty
and Rory Kinnear
joining the cast.
The new stories, which were written by Heidi Thomas and directed by Simon Curtis, took place in August 1844; a year after the wedding of Sophy Hutton and Dr Harrison.
A year has passed after the final events in the first series. Matty Jenkyns has closed her tea shop and now spends her days playing with Tilly, the baby daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem Hearne, while the pregnant Martha works in the kitchen.
Captain Brown readies the opening of a train
station at Hanbury Halt. Unfortunately, the line will end there, five miles from Cranford. Lady Ludlow refuses to sell her land, which offers the only suitable passage for the railway line.
New and old residents of the village are introduced. Mrs. Bell, a widow with two grown children, continues deep mourning fourteen months after her husband’s passing. The women of Cranford worry for the sake of daughter Peggy, who dresses in outdated clothes and has little opportunity to socialize with people her own age – including potential suitors.
Meanwhile, wealthy salt baron Mr. Buxton has returned to Cranford following the death of his wife. He brings two grown children: Eton
-educated son William and ward Erminia, educated in Brussels
. During several meetings, William and Peggy begin to have feelings for each other.
At Hanbury Court, Lady Ludlow is dying from bone cancer. The loyal Miss Galindo attends to her needs. Miss Galindo has tried to contact Lady Ludlow’s errant son Septimus, living in Naples for his health, to alert him of his mother’s poor health, but to no avail.
Lady Ludlow hears that her son is in London and will soon be traveling home to Cheshire. She waits for him, standing in her entry hall and refusing Miss Galindo’s offer of a chair for support, but after several hours it is apparent that he is taking his time. Already weakened from her illness, she collapses and dies before her son arrives.
Meanwhile, Martha has gone into labor. She goes upstairs as Jem is summoned to Hanbury Hall for his duties as undertaker. While he is gone, she begins to hemorrhage. Matty sends for a doctor, but none is available except for the railway’s barber-surgeon. He is unable to help, and both Martha and her baby die.
Lady Ludlow’s son Septimus arrives with his foppish Italian companion Giacomo. Their lavish lifestyle has drained Lady Ludlow’s fortune: while Septimus built a still-unfinished villa on Lake Lugano
, his mother took out a mortgage on her estate through Mr. Carter. As Mr. Carter is now dead, Septimus must eventually pay back this loan to Harry Gregson with interest.
Desperate for money but refusing to relinquish what is now his estate, Septimus arranges for a carriage to fetch Harry from his school. When Harry arrives, Septimus convinces him that Mr. Carter cared little for the estate, but most desired a school in Cranford. Furthermore, selling the Hanbury estate would result in the loss of jobs and land tenancies for its many employees and residents. Septimus offers to solve this dilemma by giving Harry a bank draft of £5,000 if he will agree to abandon the mortgage. Harry will then be able to pay for the village school, while Septimus will retain the estate. In effect, Harry will lose his claim for the £20,000 that was left to him. Despite the fact that Harry is only fourteen and has had no further advice, they seal the deal by shaking hands in a “gentlemen’s agreement.”
Captain Brown calls the town together and reveals that the railway will now be able to reach Cranford, as Septimus (who never intended to keep his gentlemen’s agreement to Harry) has sold the entire Hanbury estate to the railway. Harry tells Miss Galindo of his agreement with Septimus and Miss Galindo intervenes to put a stop to it.
Many residents are still vehemently opposed to the railway’s presence – including Mr. Buxton, who reveals that he owns a parcel of land previously thought part of Hanbury Park. He refuses to sell, blocking the railway’s progress.
It is clear that Cranford will fall far behind the times without the railway’s presence. The older residents remain opposed to the new ways and the threat of change, despite the fact that it will result in lost opportunities for the younger people to socialize and find work. As a result, Jem Hearne tells Matty that he and Tilly will have to leave Cranford if the railway doesn’t reach the town.
Remembering her sister Deborah’s traditional ideals, Matty realizes that she will have to modify her own positions to take care of the people she loves. She invites her friends and neighbors to accompany her on a train ride so they can see that it is not the evil force they might think it is. At first she worries that no one will come along, but as the train pulls up she sees her four friends, along with Mr. Buxton, his son and Peggy Bell. The riders have varying degrees of misconceptions as they board the train, and the jerky ride does little to dispel their fears. Still, as Matty herself begins to feel ill, others gradually relax and find themselves enjoying the trip.
In a separate carriage, William and Peggy sit alone on opposite benches. As the train lurches, they are thrown together, but William prevents Peggy from falling. He then confesses his love for her and asks her to marry him.
The train returns to Hanbury Halt, with some women expressing their excitement. Mr. Buxton’s reaction is perhaps the strongest: he tells Matty that it took great courage to try to persuade the others. He is sorry to have stood in the way of progress; thanks to Matty’s excursion, he has decided to sell his land and allow the train construction to proceed. As the episode ends, however, Matty’s face reveals that she may now regret her actions.
Part Two: October 1844
When Mr. Buxton discovers William and Peggy are engaged to be married, he refuses to give his blessing, hoping instead, to match William with Erminia. Mr. Buxton then takes out his frustrations on Matty, blaming her for presenting the opportunity for the two to be alone on the train. Determined to marry Peggy anyways, William turns to Captain Brown for an internship at the railway.
Meanwhile, Peggy's brother Edward becomes engaged as an agent to Mr. Buxton and takes charge of the sale of the parcel of land to the railway company. However, Edward embezzles some of the money. In addition, he evicts Mr. Buxton tenants, including Harry Gregson's family, while falsely telling Mr. Buxton that other arrangements have been made for the tenants' accommodation. Harry Gregson's family leaves Cranford after failing to get word to him.
Mary's stepmother arrives in Cranford, and the truth that Mary has in fact gone back on her promise to marry Mr. Turnbull is revealed. Mary decides to pursue her writing and leaves for London, leaving Matty alone in the house.
Harry has been miserable at his school, where he has been tortured by the other students. He runs away back to Cranford to discover that his family have moved on. Miss Galindo and the Reverend Hutton are adamant that Harry must return to the school, as that was what Mr. Carter, Harry's benefactor, wished. A desperate and despairing Harry runs away, intending to stow away on the next train out of Cranford.
William, while working at the railway, stumbles across evidence of Edward's embezzlement. Meanwhile, a fugitive Edward arrives home. It is revealed that he stole the money to pay gambling debts. The Bells are told that if convicted of the crime, Edward will be deported as an indentured labourer to the colonies (presumably Australia). Mr. Buxton seizes upon the opportunity to offer Peggy a deal. He will make the problem disappear if she calls off her engagement to his son William. After thinking it over, Peggy decides to refuse Mr. Buxton's offer. The police arrive with an arrest warrant for Edward, and Peggy immediately decides that she and her brother will flee to Canada. She is to go with him because she fears that on his own, he would succumb to his vices and be destroyed. They are to leave by the next train.
Miss Matty decides to tell William what has happened, and he races off to catch the departing train.
Whilst running away, Harry lets Bessie the cow loose without realising and Bessie is hit by the train whilst crossing the tracks. The carriages of the train are knocked to the ground, and William arrives at the site of the train crash searching for Peggy. William manages to save Peggy from the wreckage but Edward is killed when the train explodes.
Miss Galindo and the Reverend search for Harry after realising he was on the train when it crashed but instead find his corpse and mourn the death of Harry. Shortly after, the Reverend realises Harry is still breathing and they are relieved to find out that Harry is alive.
As everyone is devastated by the damage done by the train crash, Miss Matty decides she will use some of the money from her shop selling tea, to attempt to restore the assembly hall and take everyone's minds of what has happened. The ladies of Cranford work together with Peter to bring the assembly hall back to life and arrange a magician to play at the hall on Christmas Eve followed by a waltz to both celebrate the marriage of Captain Brown and Lady Glenmire and to bring together the shocked people of Cranford. On the way to the evening at the hall, Mrs. Forrester is still seen to be grieving the death of Bessie, when Harry approaches her and presents her with a new calf to replace Bessie and apologize for being the cause of her death. The community gather in the newly refurbished hall when Mrs. Jamieson arrives to the event, showing that she finally agrees to and approves of her sister-in-law's marriage. The night goes ahead and the entire town come together at last for a final waltz where everybody is seen to be happy.
, Hambleden
, Windsor
, Radnage
, Leighton Buzzard
, Berkhamsted
, Wycombe
, Syon House
in Brentford
, London, and Isleworth
in Middlesex
, and Oxford
. Interiors were filmed in Pinewood Studios
. A large portion of filming was done at Lacock
in Wiltshire
(a location used for many films, including Pride and Prejudice
and Emma
for the BBC in 1995 and 1996, respectively, and also for the Harry Potter films in 2000 and 2001 ). Filming of the railway sequences took place at the Foxfield Railway
.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
television series directed by Simon Curtis. The teleplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Heidi Thomas
Heidi Thomas
Heidi Thomas is an English screenwriter and playwright.-Career:After reading English at Liverpool University, Thomas gained national attention when her play, Shamrocks And Crocodiles, won the John Whiting Award in 1985. Her play Indigo was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in their...
was based on material from two novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s and a short story by Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, née Stevenson , often referred to simply as Mrs Gaskell, was a British novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era...
published between 1849 and 1863: Cranford
Cranford (novel)
Cranford is one of the better-known novels of the 19th century English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first published in 1851 as a serial in the magazine Household Words, which was edited by Charles Dickens.-Plot:...
, The Moorland Cottage and The Cage at Cranford. Themes from My Lady Ludlow
My Lady Ludlow
My Lady Ludlow is a long novella by Elizabeth Gaskell. It appeared in the magazine Household Words in 1858, and was republished in Round the Sofa in 1859, with framing passages added at the start and end.It recounts the daily lives of the widowed Countess of Ludlow of Hanbury and the spinster Miss...
, Mr Harrison's Confessions and The Last Generation in England
The Last Generation in England
The Last Generation in England is a non-fiction article by Elizabeth Gaskell, published in the American Sartain's Union Magazine in July 1849, relating memories of a small country town in the generation prior to her own. As such, it is seen as the real-life background for her novel Cranford...
are included to provide continuity with the first series
Cranford (TV series)
Cranford is a British television series directed by Simon Curtis and Steve Hudson. The teleplay by Heidi Thomas was adapted from three novellas by Elizabeth Gaskell published between 1849 and 1858: Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Mr Harrison's Confessions...
.
The two-part Christmas special was transmitted in the UK by BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in December 2009. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it was broadcast by PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
as part of its Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service on January 10, 1971, making it America's longest-running weekly prime time drama series. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions...
series in January 2010. Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Deborah Findlay, and Barbara Flynn reprised their roles, with Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
, Celia Imrie
Celia Imrie
Celia Diana Savile Imrie is an English actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom...
, Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp
Lesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress, particularly well known for her variety of British television roles including Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and afterlife.-Early life:...
, Nicholas Le Prevost
Nicholas Le Prevost
Nicholas Le Prevost is an English actor. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 1964...
, Jodie Whittaker
Jodie Whittaker
Jodie Auckland Whittaker is an English actress, perhaps best known for her work in the film Venus . She also starred in the ITV1 series Marchlands playing the young Ruth who had lost her daughter Alice.-Career:...
, Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston
Thomas William "Tom" Hiddleston is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Loki in the 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor.-Early life and education:...
, Michelle Dockery
Michelle Dockery
Michelle Dockery is an English actress of stage and screen. She has become best known for her role as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV drama series Downton Abbey...
, Matthew McNulty
Matthew McNulty
Matthew McNulty is an English actor of film and television.-Film:*Geography of the Hapless Heart as Jamie*Messengers 2: The Scarecrow as Deputy Milton...
and Rory Kinnear
Rory Kinnear
Rory Kinnear is an award-winning English actor who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre.-Early life:...
joining the cast.
The new stories, which were written by Heidi Thomas and directed by Simon Curtis, took place in August 1844; a year after the wedding of Sophy Hutton and Dr Harrison.
Cast
Listed in alphabetical order:| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Francesca Annis Francesca Annis Francesca Annis is an English actress, known for her film and television appearances, most recently in the BBC series Wives and Daughters, Cranford, and Deceit.-Early life and education:... |
Lady Ludlow, the Lady of Hanbury Court |
| Claudie Blakley Claudie Blakley Claudia "Claudie" Blakley is an English actress.Her father was Alan Blakely, a member of the 1960s pop band The Tremeloes, and her sister Kirsten Blakley is lead singer of the indie band Little Spitfire. Blakley trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama... |
Martha, a maid to Matty Jenkyns |
| Andrew Buchan Andrew Buchan -Early life:Buchan was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and brought up in the suburb of Lostock in Bolton. He attended the nearby Rivington and Blackrod High School in Horwich.... |
Jem Hearne, a carpenter and father of Martha’s daughter Tilly |
| Jim Carter | Captain Brown, retired officer who now works for the railway |
| Tim Curry Tim Curry Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.... |
Signor Brunoni, an Italian magician |
| Judi Dench Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo... |
Matilda 'Matty' Jenkyns, Deborah's sister |
| Lisa Dillon Lisa Dillon Lisa Dillon is Critics Circle Award-winning English actress.-Theatre:Whilst training at RADA, Dillon appeared in several training productions, including: Hamlet and The Tempest by William Shakespeare, The Devils by John Whiting, The Devil's Law Case by John Webster, Yentl by Leah Napolin and The... |
Mary Smith, a guest of Matty Jenkyns |
| Michelle Dockery Michelle Dockery Michelle Dockery is an English actress of stage and screen. She has become best known for her role as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV drama series Downton Abbey... |
Erminia, Brussels-educated ward of Mr. Buxton |
| Alex Etel Alex Etel Alexander Nathan "Alex" Etel is a British child actor.-Early life:Alexander Nathan Etel was born at 3:33AM on September 19, 1994 in a hospital on the outskirts of Manchester. Etel is the middle child of his family, he has a younger brother and an older sister.-Career:Etel was born in Manchester... |
Harry Gregson, a boy of poor parentage |
| Emma Fielding Emma Fielding Emma Georgina Annalies Fielding is an English actress.-Biography:The lapsed Roman Catholic daughter of a British Army soldier, Fielding spent much of her childhood in Malaysia and Nigeria, and a period in Malvern above her grandparents' betting shop... |
Laurentia Galindo, a former milliner who now assists Lady Ludlow in her affairs |
| Deborah Findlay Deborah Findlay Deborah Findlay is an English actress.Her TV credits include Gillian in the ITV drama The Last Train , the recurring character Greer Thornton in 4 of the 6 episodes of State of Play, and in the episode The French Drop in Foyle's War. She also appeared in 4 episodes of the 2001 series of The... |
Augusta Tomkinson, a spinster |
| Barbara Flynn Barbara Flynn Barbara Flynn is an English actress. She first became known for her appearance in the ITV drama A Family at War, that followed the fortunes of a lower middle class family living in Liverpool from 1938 and through World War II.During the 1980s Flynn's acting skills led to her being cast in several... |
The Honourable Mrs Jamieson, a widow with aristocratic pretensions and the owner of her beloved dog, Giuseppe |
| Debra Gillett Debra Gillett Debra Gillett is a British actress who has been active since 1990 and appeared in productions including The Witches, Chimera, Truckers, Casualty, Just William, Dalziel and Pascoe, Spooks, Doctor Who, Wyrd Sisters and Cranford.... |
Mrs. Johnson, wife of Mr. Johnson and fellow shopkeeper |
| Celia Imrie Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie is an English actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom... |
Lady Glenmire, the aristocratic sister-in-law of Mrs. Jamieson |
| Tom Hiddleston Tom Hiddleston Thomas William "Tom" Hiddleston is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Loki in the 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor.-Early life and education:... |
William Buxton, Eton-educated son of Mr. Buxton |
| Alex Jennings Alex Jennings Alex Jennings is an English actor whose roles have included Charles, Prince of Wales in The Queen .-Early years:... |
Reverend Hutton, former vicar to Cranford |
| Rory Kinnear Rory Kinnear Rory Kinnear is an award-winning English actor who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre.-Early life:... |
Septimus, ne’er-do-well son of Lady Ludlow, who has been living abroad in Italy |
| Nicholas Le Prevost Nicholas Le Prevost Nicholas Le Prevost is an English actor. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 1964... |
Peter Jenkyns, brother of Matty, returned from many years in India |
| Julia McKenzie Julia McKenzie Julia McKenzie is an English actress, singer, and theatre director. She is best-known for her performance in Fresh Fields, but to current television audiences, she is best known for her role as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple... |
Mrs Forrester, a widow, who owns a cow, Bessie, whom she loves as a daughter |
| Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s... |
Mr. Buxton, a wealthy widower returning to live in Cranford after the death of his wife |
| Adrian Scarborough Adrian Scarborough Adrian Philip Scarborough is an English character actor and won an Olivier award for best actor in a supporting role in 2011.Scarborough was born in Melton Mowbray, and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, winning the Chesterton Award for Best Actor.In 1993, he was nominated for the Ian... |
Mr. Johnson, town shopkeeper |
| Imelda Staunton Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton, OBE is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the British comedy television series Up the Garden Path, the Harry Potter film series and Vera Drake... |
Octavia Pole, the town gossip |
| Jodie Whittaker Jodie Whittaker Jodie Auckland Whittaker is an English actress, perhaps best known for her work in the film Venus . She also starred in the ITV1 series Marchlands playing the young Ruth who had lost her daughter Alice.-Career:... |
Peggy Bell, caretaker of her mother (Lesley Sharp Lesley Sharp Lesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress, particularly well known for her variety of British television roles including Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and afterlife.-Early life:... ) and brother Edward (Matthew McNulty Matthew McNulty Matthew McNulty is an English actor of film and television.-Film:*Geography of the Hapless Heart as Jamie*Messengers 2: The Scarecrow as Deputy Milton... ) |
| Greg Wise Greg Wise Greg Wise is an English actor and producer. He has appeared in many British television works, as well as several feature films .- Early life :... |
Sir Charles Maulver, a magistrate and owner of the local railway company |
Episode guide
Part One: August 1844A year has passed after the final events in the first series. Matty Jenkyns has closed her tea shop and now spends her days playing with Tilly, the baby daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem Hearne, while the pregnant Martha works in the kitchen.
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
station at Hanbury Halt. Unfortunately, the line will end there, five miles from Cranford. Lady Ludlow refuses to sell her land, which offers the only suitable passage for the railway line.
New and old residents of the village are introduced. Mrs. Bell, a widow with two grown children, continues deep mourning fourteen months after her husband’s passing. The women of Cranford worry for the sake of daughter Peggy, who dresses in outdated clothes and has little opportunity to socialize with people her own age – including potential suitors.
Meanwhile, wealthy salt baron Mr. Buxton has returned to Cranford following the death of his wife. He brings two grown children: Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
-educated son William and ward Erminia, educated in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. During several meetings, William and Peggy begin to have feelings for each other.
At Hanbury Court, Lady Ludlow is dying from bone cancer. The loyal Miss Galindo attends to her needs. Miss Galindo has tried to contact Lady Ludlow’s errant son Septimus, living in Naples for his health, to alert him of his mother’s poor health, but to no avail.
Lady Ludlow hears that her son is in London and will soon be traveling home to Cheshire. She waits for him, standing in her entry hall and refusing Miss Galindo’s offer of a chair for support, but after several hours it is apparent that he is taking his time. Already weakened from her illness, she collapses and dies before her son arrives.
Meanwhile, Martha has gone into labor. She goes upstairs as Jem is summoned to Hanbury Hall for his duties as undertaker. While he is gone, she begins to hemorrhage. Matty sends for a doctor, but none is available except for the railway’s barber-surgeon. He is unable to help, and both Martha and her baby die.
Lady Ludlow’s son Septimus arrives with his foppish Italian companion Giacomo. Their lavish lifestyle has drained Lady Ludlow’s fortune: while Septimus built a still-unfinished villa on Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano
Lake Lugano is a glacial lake in the south-east of Switzerland, at the border between Switzerland and Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore...
, his mother took out a mortgage on her estate through Mr. Carter. As Mr. Carter is now dead, Septimus must eventually pay back this loan to Harry Gregson with interest.
Desperate for money but refusing to relinquish what is now his estate, Septimus arranges for a carriage to fetch Harry from his school. When Harry arrives, Septimus convinces him that Mr. Carter cared little for the estate, but most desired a school in Cranford. Furthermore, selling the Hanbury estate would result in the loss of jobs and land tenancies for its many employees and residents. Septimus offers to solve this dilemma by giving Harry a bank draft of £5,000 if he will agree to abandon the mortgage. Harry will then be able to pay for the village school, while Septimus will retain the estate. In effect, Harry will lose his claim for the £20,000 that was left to him. Despite the fact that Harry is only fourteen and has had no further advice, they seal the deal by shaking hands in a “gentlemen’s agreement.”
Captain Brown calls the town together and reveals that the railway will now be able to reach Cranford, as Septimus (who never intended to keep his gentlemen’s agreement to Harry) has sold the entire Hanbury estate to the railway. Harry tells Miss Galindo of his agreement with Septimus and Miss Galindo intervenes to put a stop to it.
Many residents are still vehemently opposed to the railway’s presence – including Mr. Buxton, who reveals that he owns a parcel of land previously thought part of Hanbury Park. He refuses to sell, blocking the railway’s progress.
It is clear that Cranford will fall far behind the times without the railway’s presence. The older residents remain opposed to the new ways and the threat of change, despite the fact that it will result in lost opportunities for the younger people to socialize and find work. As a result, Jem Hearne tells Matty that he and Tilly will have to leave Cranford if the railway doesn’t reach the town.
Remembering her sister Deborah’s traditional ideals, Matty realizes that she will have to modify her own positions to take care of the people she loves. She invites her friends and neighbors to accompany her on a train ride so they can see that it is not the evil force they might think it is. At first she worries that no one will come along, but as the train pulls up she sees her four friends, along with Mr. Buxton, his son and Peggy Bell. The riders have varying degrees of misconceptions as they board the train, and the jerky ride does little to dispel their fears. Still, as Matty herself begins to feel ill, others gradually relax and find themselves enjoying the trip.
In a separate carriage, William and Peggy sit alone on opposite benches. As the train lurches, they are thrown together, but William prevents Peggy from falling. He then confesses his love for her and asks her to marry him.
The train returns to Hanbury Halt, with some women expressing their excitement. Mr. Buxton’s reaction is perhaps the strongest: he tells Matty that it took great courage to try to persuade the others. He is sorry to have stood in the way of progress; thanks to Matty’s excursion, he has decided to sell his land and allow the train construction to proceed. As the episode ends, however, Matty’s face reveals that she may now regret her actions.
Part Two: October 1844
When Mr. Buxton discovers William and Peggy are engaged to be married, he refuses to give his blessing, hoping instead, to match William with Erminia. Mr. Buxton then takes out his frustrations on Matty, blaming her for presenting the opportunity for the two to be alone on the train. Determined to marry Peggy anyways, William turns to Captain Brown for an internship at the railway.
Meanwhile, Peggy's brother Edward becomes engaged as an agent to Mr. Buxton and takes charge of the sale of the parcel of land to the railway company. However, Edward embezzles some of the money. In addition, he evicts Mr. Buxton tenants, including Harry Gregson's family, while falsely telling Mr. Buxton that other arrangements have been made for the tenants' accommodation. Harry Gregson's family leaves Cranford after failing to get word to him.
Mary's stepmother arrives in Cranford, and the truth that Mary has in fact gone back on her promise to marry Mr. Turnbull is revealed. Mary decides to pursue her writing and leaves for London, leaving Matty alone in the house.
Harry has been miserable at his school, where he has been tortured by the other students. He runs away back to Cranford to discover that his family have moved on. Miss Galindo and the Reverend Hutton are adamant that Harry must return to the school, as that was what Mr. Carter, Harry's benefactor, wished. A desperate and despairing Harry runs away, intending to stow away on the next train out of Cranford.
William, while working at the railway, stumbles across evidence of Edward's embezzlement. Meanwhile, a fugitive Edward arrives home. It is revealed that he stole the money to pay gambling debts. The Bells are told that if convicted of the crime, Edward will be deported as an indentured labourer to the colonies (presumably Australia). Mr. Buxton seizes upon the opportunity to offer Peggy a deal. He will make the problem disappear if she calls off her engagement to his son William. After thinking it over, Peggy decides to refuse Mr. Buxton's offer. The police arrive with an arrest warrant for Edward, and Peggy immediately decides that she and her brother will flee to Canada. She is to go with him because she fears that on his own, he would succumb to his vices and be destroyed. They are to leave by the next train.
Miss Matty decides to tell William what has happened, and he races off to catch the departing train.
Whilst running away, Harry lets Bessie the cow loose without realising and Bessie is hit by the train whilst crossing the tracks. The carriages of the train are knocked to the ground, and William arrives at the site of the train crash searching for Peggy. William manages to save Peggy from the wreckage but Edward is killed when the train explodes.
Miss Galindo and the Reverend search for Harry after realising he was on the train when it crashed but instead find his corpse and mourn the death of Harry. Shortly after, the Reverend realises Harry is still breathing and they are relieved to find out that Harry is alive.
As everyone is devastated by the damage done by the train crash, Miss Matty decides she will use some of the money from her shop selling tea, to attempt to restore the assembly hall and take everyone's minds of what has happened. The ladies of Cranford work together with Peter to bring the assembly hall back to life and arrange a magician to play at the hall on Christmas Eve followed by a waltz to both celebrate the marriage of Captain Brown and Lady Glenmire and to bring together the shocked people of Cranford. On the way to the evening at the hall, Mrs. Forrester is still seen to be grieving the death of Bessie, when Harry approaches her and presents her with a new calf to replace Bessie and apologize for being the cause of her death. The community gather in the newly refurbished hall when Mrs. Jamieson arrives to the event, showing that she finally agrees to and approves of her sister-in-law's marriage. The night goes ahead and the entire town come together at last for a final waltz where everybody is seen to be happy.
Production
Although Cranford is supposedly located in Cheshire, none of the exteriors was filmed there. Locations used included SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Hambleden
Hambleden
Hambleden is a small village and civil parish within Wycombe district in the south of Buckinghamshire, England. It is about four miles west of Marlow, and about three miles north east of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire....
, Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, Radnage
Radnage
Radnage is a village and civil parish in the Wycombe district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills about two miles north east of Stokenchurch and six miles WNW of High Wycombe....
, Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
, Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...
, Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Syon House
Syon House
Syon House, with its 200-acre park, is situated in west London, England. It belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and is now his family's London residence...
in Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
, London, and Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Interiors were filmed in Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
. A large portion of filming was done at Lacock
Lacock
Lacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles from the town of Chippenham. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust, and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.-History:...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(a location used for many films, including Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
and Emma
Emma
Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively 'comedy of manners' among...
for the BBC in 1995 and 1996, respectively, and also for the Harry Potter films in 2000 and 2001 ). Filming of the railway sequences took place at the Foxfield Railway
Foxfield Light Railway
The Foxfield Light Railway is a preserved standard gauge line located south east of Stoke-on-Trent. The line was built in 1893 to serve the colliery at Dilhorne on the Cheadle Coalfield. It joined the North Staffordshire Railway line near Blythe Bridge....
.
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie - Judi DenchJudi DenchDame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
(nominated) - Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie - Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
(nominated) - Outstanding Miniseries (nominated)
- Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special (nominated)
External links
- PBS Masterpiece Website
- Official website
- BBC Press release re Cranford
- Pictures from filming of Cranford
- Cranford fan site
- November 10, 2007 Telegraph article
- November 17, 2007 Telegraph article
- Episode guide at Digiguide.com
Online texts
- The Moorland Cottage
- The Cage at Cranford
- Mr. Harrison's Confessions free eBook edition
- The Last Generation in England
- Foxfield Railway Where the filming of the railway scenes took place.