Lark Rise to Candleford is a British television costume drama series, adapted by the BBC from Flora Thompson's trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the English countryside, published between 1939 and 1943. The first episode aired on 13 January 2008 on BBC One. The final series concluded on 13th February 2011.
The series is set in the small Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town of Candleford towards the end of the 19th century. The series chronicles the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen, and gentry, observing the characters in loving, boisterous, and competing communities of families, rivals, friends, and neighbours.
The narrative is seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins, as she leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her cousin, the independent and effervescent Dorcas Lane, who is Post Mistress at the local Post Office in Candleford. Through these two characters, viewers experience the force of friendship as Laura and Dorcas see each other through the best and worst of times.
Although the fictional Lark Rise is in Oxfordshire the BBC shot most of the 4 series around Hatt Farm & Neston Park in Wiltshire. This cache series will take you on a six mile walk that will give you a taste of the pretty countryside in the area. Please don’t expect to see Lark Rise or Candleford as both were mostly sets constructed for filming only, although the old barn at Hatt Farm is the backdrop for the Lark Rise set. This circular walk is on footpaths & bridleways which may be muddy after rain. Please keep to the footpaths, all caches are easily accessible from the paths & there is no need to climb walls or cross barbed wire. On the footpath at N51 23.701 W002 14.484 you will have an excellent view of Hatt Farm B&B which became the Candleford vicarage. If you are headed for cache 5 please take care crossing the main road.
Winifred "Minnie" Mude works as a maid for Dorcas. She is scatty, easily distracted but has a heart of gold. Minnie is seen mostly in the post office but does get outside when she is out courting with Alf Arless.
