The series is set in the Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the market town of Candleford towards the end of the 19th century. The series chronicles the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen, and gentry. The story is seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins. She leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her mother’s cousin, Dorcas Lane. Dorcas 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.