Set in a small English seaside town in the 1920s, E.F. Bensons novel is the subject of cult adoration in Britain and America. This TV adaptation presents rural English locations steeped in colour, pageantry and tradition. Miss Mapp traditionally holds court over the town of Tilling until Lucia moves there for the summer. Bitter rivalry develops between the two, seething behind a veneer of politeness and social etiquette. Meanwhile the Tilling Villagers suppress their delight and eagerly await the next bout in the fray.