Lista episodi

Blacksmith's daughter Sarah Burton returns to her native Yorkshire, after twenty years' teaching in London and South Africa, for an interview to be head mistress of Kiplington Girls' School. Her idealism impresses kindly Alderwoman Mrs. Beddows and socialist Joe Astell but dour farmer Robert Carne opposes her eventual appointment. He has a withdrawn young daughter Midge, whom Mrs. Beddows persuades him to enroll at Sarah's school. After an awkward first day Midge comes to like Sarah and is befriended by Lydia Holly, a very bright girl who lives in the Shacks, a shanty town Joe is hoping to clear in order to build a modern housing estate for the residents. Councillor Anthony Snaith supports him but tells Joe that Carne is against them. Sarah seeks help in modernising the school building from another councillor, Huggins, a hypocritical lay preacher who is about to be forced to pay money to Bessy, a girl he has impregnated. Despite his initial antipathy, Carne comes to respect Sarah after she has helped him deliver a calf when her car runs out of petrol near his farm. The next day he goes to visit his wife Muriel in an institution.

Lydia's mother dies,giving birth to a stillborn baby, and her father has to take her out of school to look after her brothers and sisters. Bessy's boyfriend Reg puts the screws on Huggins for more money,which he gets Snaith to loan him. He learns that the new estate is to be built on marshland and anyone who owns part of it will do well financially when the council come to buy it. Carne faces repossession of his farm as the bank threatens to foreclose on his mortgage. He travels to Manchester to seek a more suitable home for Muriel and bumps into Sarah,on her way to spend Christmas with her sister. They plan to spend the night together but he has one of his fits.

Sarah returns to spend Christmas alone in Kiplington but ends up having a pleasant day with Joe. She is anxious to get Lydia back in school and the opportunity arises when Mr. Holly persuades lonely widow Mrs. Brimsley to be his housekeeper. Carne accuses Snaith of corruption after Huggins has invited Carne to join them in buying cheap swampland to sell at a profit to the council for the housing estate. Snaith counters by suing him for slander and gets away with things when he proves that he has earmarked other land for the development, to Huggins' financial detriment. Carne falls from his horse and is killed and Midge opts to go away with her grandfather rather than stay in Kiplington with Mrs. Beddows. With Joe leaving the area, Sarah is tempted to return to London but is persuaded to stay by Mrs. Beddows. As the Carnes' old house becomes a hospital, to which Carne's wife Muriel is transferred, Sarah is proud to see Lydia win her university scholarship.