Lark Rise To Candleford: Series 2 - Episode guide
Lark Rise To Candleford returns for a second series with a feature-length Christmas special, followed by 11 new episodes of the adaptation of Flora Thomson's memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood.
Read our interview with Julia Sawalha, who plays Dorcas Lane.
Read our interview with Olivia Hallinan, who plays Laura Timmins.
Read our interview with Jason Merrells, who plays James Dowland.
Buy Series 1 on DVD.
Buy Series 2 on DVD.
Episode 1: Christmas Special
Sunday 21st December 2008
When Dorcas and Emma each want to give Laura the same gift for Christmas, an old family wound is opened up and Laura finds herself torn between two mothers. As the inhabitants of Lark Rise and Candleford prepare for the festivities, loyalties are tested and, amid the gift-giving and carol singing, tensions are building.
However, the arrival of a ragged, bare-footed young woman, who goes by the name of Cinderella Doe, introduces a note of Christmas mystery. With its usual mix of charm, warmth, comedy and pathos, Lark Rise To Candleford kicks off its new season with a story rich in history.
Episode 2
Sunday 4th January 2009
A handsome stranger rides into Candleford with a look of determination about him. As he approaches, the man, James Dowland, chances upon young Edmund Timmins and presents him with a silver thruppence. James's arrival in Candleford catches the eye of several of the residents, but he only has eyes for a certain Dorcas Lane. For the Pratt sisters, he is their new hero who will put Candleford on the map with the opening of a new hotel.
Not everyone is so keen on James. Robert Timmins is suspicious of his motives and is less than accepting of his financial help when he offers to take the Lark Rise tenants under his wing. Emma Timmins and the other tenants, however, are more than happy to welcome James into their homes. Mrs Herring, the cantankerous landlady, continues to add to the strains of the Lark Rise residents with her refusal to upkeep their homes. Dorcas and James take it upon themselves to help, and come up with a plan to show Mrs Herring the error of her ways.
Meanwhile, Dorcas's patience is tried with the arrival of a new maid, Minnie, who can do no right. She means well but, with her troubled past, struggles to contain her excitement – testing Dorcas and those around her to the limit.
Episode 3
Sunday 11th January 2009
Battling with her emotions for new arrival James Dowland, Dorcas Lane sets out to defeat the dashing property developer in the parish council elections, as this popular adaptation of Flora Thomson's memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood continues. In her quest to win, Dorcas is caught up in a fight to prove that there is a place for women in politics.
Meanwhile, over in Lark Rise, the daily grind of making ends meet proves too much for Robert and Emma Timmins, as they find themselves torn between the past and the future. As Candleford continues to embrace the growth and prosperity that James Dowland pledges, Robert's reluctance to change grows stronger.
Lily Spicer, too, has her own issues with change. Used to living her life on the road, the appeal of a little home comfort is overwhelming. Longing to settle down, but hesitant to compromise her true self, Lily must decide what it is that makes her a real woman. Young romance continues to puzzle Alf Arless, as he questions his feelings for Laura again. With the help of Twister, they set out to win her over. But the introduction of Alf's new love interest is not quite what it seems.
Episode 4
Sunday 18th January 2009
When an accident happens on the path joining Lark Rise with Candleford, Dorcas Lane and James Dowland clash once again.
The death of Miss Ellison's father unites the two communities but, amongst the sadness, Miss Ellison is confronted with her brother, George, and a past she would really rather forget. Divided between her Christian values and her obligations to her late father, Miss Ellison struggles to know whether to follow her heart or her head.
The road is falling apart and needs to be repaired; George soon becomes the talk of the town when he steps in to help the residents of Lark Rise. James, again wanting to utilise his business, is aggravated by George's determination to "finish the job" without his help.
Meanwhile, overwhelmed with grief, Miss Ellison is oblivious to Thomas Brown's affections for her and his desire for her hand in marriage. Dorcas and Emma do all they can to bring them together, but Miss Ellison must first learn how to forgive if she is to learn how to love.
Episode 5
Sunday 25th January 2009
Time rests heavy on the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford as baby Annie stirs up emotions of days gone by and loves yet to be found. With Emma Timmins feeling the strain of feeding and clothing her family, Dorcas Lane offers to lend a helping hand – unaware of the consequences that her generosity will bring. The feelings baby Annie inflames for both Dorcas and Ruby Pratt become too much to bear. But, with the Timmins house empty, Robert and Emma embrace their new-found freedom.
Whilst the post office welcomes baby Annie, Thomas struggles to cope with the feelings which her presence brings. He must learn to accept his past and move on, if he and Miss Ellison are to have the future they so desperately long for.
James Dowland, meanwhile, is keen to continue the progress of modernising Candleford and hires the help of the young and self-assured Fisher Bloom. Laura is quickly taken with his arrival but feels uncomfortable and unable to let her true emotions show. James and Dorcas also do their best to avoid the feelings that they so obviously share for one other.
Episode 6
Sunday 1st February 2009
When Dorcas Lane is suddenly taken ill, Laura Timmins finds herself with more than one problem to solve, as the popular adaptation of Flora Thompson's childhood memoirs continues. Afraid to admit that even she has limitations, however, Laura decides that she will not fail Dorcas and soon realises that she must accept her own weaknesses if she is to succeed.
With both Lark Rise and Candleford rallying around to show their support for Laura's new role in the post office, she soon feels the pressure mounting up and is troubled when anonymous letters begin to arrive. When Minnie sees the delivery of one of the packages, her past catches up with her once again and she is left fearful of her haunting memories.
James Dowland, meanwhile, is deeply troubled on hearing of Dorcas's condition and makes it his business to see that she is cared for properly. The relationship between James and Dorcas continues to flourish as they finally begin to feel at ease with one another.
As Laura's feelings for Fisher Bloom continue to develop, Dorcas feels the need to protect her and the hostility between Fisher and Dorcas begins to cloud the air. True love never runs smoothly, and Laura and Fisher must decide whether to let fate determine their future.
Episode 7
Sunday 8th February 2009
When Robert's work tools disappear while he is enjoying a relaxing summer afternoon with his children, it tips the Timmins family into financial despair, as BBC One's charming adaptation of Flora Thompson's childhood memoirs continues. Much as Emma tries to comfort and buoy up her dejected husband's spirits, a stonemason without his tools cannot work, and Robert is forced to take on the most basic of tasks.
When family and neighbours rally to help restore Robert to his position as a craftsman, his pride bristles and his stubborn nature makes things worse: with poverty biting, something must be done.
Time weighs heavily on blossoming romances in Candleford. As preparations for the grandest of inauguration celebrations for the new town clock gather pace, James Dowland's courting of Dorcas may be beginning to bear fruit when he bestows upon her a very special privilege. The countdown to the clock unveiling also weighs heavily on the amount of time Fisher and Laura have left together. When the clock is finished, he is determined to leave Candleford. Will his love for Laura persuade him to change his mind?
Episode 8
Sunday 15th February 2009
The arrival in Candleford of a well-to-do woman from London throws James Dowland into something of a spin. It seems that the life he has lived since he left Lark Rise has not been as straightforward as he has so far portrayed, and some extraordinary revelations about his past threaten the very fabric of his trusting relationship with Dorcas.
When Emma's father comes to Lark Rise, meanwhile, he stirs up emotions throughout the hamlet. The prospect of him remaining in the End House, however, does not go down well with Robert. And Old Edmund's fondness for Queenie causes quite a rivalry between him and Twister, and a long-kept secret about Queenie and Twister's relationship is revealed.
Episode 9
Sunday 22nd February 2009
An attractive local milkmaid, Nan, takes a fancy to Alf. But this budding young love looks like it might be thwarted by an animosity that goes back generations between Lark Rise and the neighbouring hamlet of Fordlow. Things are made worse when Queenie's bees are stolen and Twister is convinced it is Nan's family and neighbours who have committed such an unforgivable crime.
In Candleford, James Dowland is making every effort to mend his relationship with Dorcas. Can he win back her affections, or does she know too much of his past to ever trust him again?
Episode 10
Sunday 1st March 2009
As the annual Harvest Festival returns to Candleford, PC Patterson's wife, as per usual, takes to her bed with a mysterious illness. But this year is different: she gives him her express permission to seek a new wife when she passes away. Patterson has no intention of doing such a thing – until a damsel in distress sets his heart soaring. Meanwhile, an unlikely rival from Lark Rise threatens to scupper his continued success in the Harvest Festival's produce competitions, when Alf Arless sets his eyes on the two-shilling prize.
Later, Robert Timmins has a gift for Alf that could change both his future and the path of his blossoming romance with Nan.
Episode 11
Sunday 8th March 2009
A sudden storm proves the catalyst for a series of revelations that will for ever change the lives of a number of Lark Rise and Candleford residents. When the address on a letter is rendered indecipherable, Dorcas Lane pursues the identity of its recipient only to uncover a shocking secret kept from James Dowland for years. Dorcas is subsequently haunted by strange noises around the Post Office and, although greatly distressed, is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Laura Timmins, meanwhile, is tormented by the knowledge of a possible betrayal. Will her intervention – even with the best of intentions – make things better for Alf and Nan? Emma also receives life-changing news that she finds impossible to tell Robert. Later, Miss Ellison's choice of who she wants to give her away at her wedding meets with objection, not just from Thomas Brown, but from others in the hamlet.
Episode 12
Sunday 15th March 2009
James Dowland is confined to his hospital bed when his son, Sidney, arrives in Candleford. Dorcas welcomes the child into the Post Office, encouraging Laura and Ruby to do everything they can to make him feel at home there. As Sidney is introduced to the colourful characters of Candleford and the charming folk in Lark Rise, he becomes quite an object of local fascination. When James is at last released from hospital, however, he clashes with Dorcas over what's in the best interests of the son he never knew he had.
Elsewhere, as the wedding of Thomas Brown and Miss Ellison fast approaches, anticipation and excitement grows among the people of Lark Rise and Candleford. Thomas is thrown into a torrent of uncertainty and anxiety by a few words from the common book of prayer, and Miss Ellison develops a strange disease of the skin which could be the result of her own anxieties. Will the betrothed couple ever make it down the aisle?
