distance between town and hamlet

Would only take me about 2 hours. For a relatively fast walker, walking that distance in 2 hours would be no problem. But I admit, yes, we have the luxury of extremely comfortable footwear in this day and age.

I do recall though, that Caroline used to mention riding back and forth between the two on the milk cart. So I assume most of the Lark Risers were used to hitching a ride that way.

French existential absurdist tragi-comedy rocks! G.Rush

I an not certain it would help much with walking times; but when the distance was measured in an early episode, there was a short cut that could be taken cutting the distance down a little bit from the originally stated 8+ miles. This is how the fee for telegram delivery was eliminated in favor of the residents of Lark Rise.

Same here. The way they go back and forth make it seem like a 30 minute walk.

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Read anything from that period and you'll see that those who were forced to walk would not have a problem with it. As one commenter said, a brisk walker could do it in under 2 hours. People accustomed to it would not find it far, or difficult, and it would be the kind of "commute" they would expect under the circumstances.

Don't forget that the hamlet characters often mentioned the 'eggler' cart, the 'milk cart' as well as borrowing Mr Paxman's pony and cart. (the owner of the Wagon and Horses pub)

Miss Lane has her horse and trap. Sir Timothy has his horse. Lady Adalaide has her carriages. Also, in the later episodes there was the bicyle which Laura, Thomas and Minnie used often.

But nobody wants to see an hour long programme just to see them walking through countryside and not saying a word to anyone.

We simply cannot compare now with then!

We assume that they were "in better shape" because they had to do so much physical work every day; that is true!

However, they were smaller than we are; their legs were shorter so it took more steps.

They didn't always have enough to eat; there was a matter of nutrition (and that much walking, producing nothing, wasted a great deal of energy).

Notice: They did NOT have "water bottles." Do you know how thirsty they would be having to walk 8 miles each way in all kinds of weather?

Footwear! Their shoes (when they had them) were definitely inferior. They were badly made, stiff, and uncomfortable, and didn't fit well. There were many cases of corns and blisters, etc.

Many went barefoot. The roads were dirt, rocks, chuckholes, and mud puddles. It was NOT easy walking.

Walking on grass posed its own problems; gopher holes, noxious weeds, broken glass, animal droppings, and more rocks.

Walking after rain could even more difficult, depending on the kinds of soil. It could take another hour to clean your boots after a trek that long. Or, a walk like that could ruin a precious pair of boots.

Taking a shortcut could result in your being "lost" if you fell and were hurt if no one knew your exact route.

They did NOT have sunglasses! Few had "parasols." Few had proper hats. They did not have anything to sit on, if they "felt faint" for a time.

As to riding; a horse was best, but 16 miles is substantial. Poor people did not have horses; they could not afford to feed them, or outfit them. Wagons were MISERABLE. (I know what a wagon feels like with rubber tires, a wagon with wooden or metal wheels was awful! We also had a "sleigh" with metal runners, that held 9 (in 3 rows) and it was more "romantic" than wonderful.) A small trap (like Dorcas used) was OK, depending on the condition of the suspension (springs) and the padding on the seat.

I agree, the constant "back and forth" is unrealistic.

I agree with most said in this thread. But also I think we have to suspend belief a little here. It is meant a bit more of a soap opera than a complete accurate/historical retelling of events.

But I do think there were a lot of mistakes made in many areas that could have made for better story telling.

Like many times when Dorcas just hops over to Lark Rise. Yeah right. Not a lady of her position or of that distance. Especially after the fuss over charging for telegram delivery.

I think they were trying to bridge the communities and characters together but I do agree that they were a little too lax in allowing them all to just bounce around as willly nilly as they do. Oh I am going to hobble my 9 mth pregnant self to the PO amidst labor. Ha. Or they all just appear in the woods doing a seance ha! And I surprised the candelford folks and Lark Rise folks would be communing so much woth each other so often. Especially when it didn't seem that it was that way before Laua started working over there.

So yeah I see a lot of errors but I think the best thing we can do is view it like a period soap opera full of silliness.