<P> 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 . </P> <P> The story is seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), as she leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her mother's cousin, the independent and effervescent Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha), 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 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Character </Th> <Th> Portrayed by </Th> <Th_colspan="4"> Seasons </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Series 1 </Th> <Th> Series 2 </Th> <Th> Series 3 </Th> <Th> Series 4 </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dorcas Lane </Td> <Td> Julia Sawalha </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Laura Timmins </Td> <Td> Olivia Hallinan </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Emma Timmins </Td> <Td> Claudie Blakley </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Robert Timmins </Td> <Td> Brendan Coyle </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Victoria May' Queenie' Warrener Turrill </Td> <Td> Linda Bassett </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Thomas' Twister' Turrill </Td> <Td> Karl Johnson </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Thomas Brown </Td> <Td> Mark Heap </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Margaret Ellison Brown </Td> <Td> Sandy McDade </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Recurring </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Caroline Arless </Td> <Td> Dawn French </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Alf Arless </Td> <Td> John Dagleish </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Winifred' Minnie' Mude </Td> <Td> Ruby Bentall </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zillah </Td> <Td> Liz Smith </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Prudence' Pearl' Pratt </Td> <Td> Matilda Ziegler </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ruth' Ruby' Pratt </Td> <Td> Victoria Hamilton </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sir Timothy Midwinter </Td> <Td> Ben Miles </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lady Adelaide Midwinter </Td> <Td> Olivia Grant </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td> Guest </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Phillip White </Td> <Td> Oliver Jackson - Cohen </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mr. Paxton </Td> <Td> Gerard Horan </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Matthew Welby </Td> <Td> Stephen Marcus </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> James Dowland </Td> <Td> Jason Merrells </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Nan Carter </Td> <Td> Rebecca Night </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Daniel Parish </Td> <Td> Ben Aldridge </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Gabriel Cochrane </Td> <Td> Richard Harrington </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Main </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Narrator (Adult Laura Timmins) </Td> <Td> Sarah Lancashire </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Edmund Timmins </Td> <Td> Thomas Rhys Jones </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Frank Timmins </Td> <Td> Fergus Drysdale </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ethel Timmins </Td> <Td> Martha Murdoch </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sally Arless </Td> <Td> Sophie Miles </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lizzie Arless </Td> <Td> Hope Yeomans </Td> <Td_colspan="4"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Archie Arless </Td> <Td> Harry Miles </Td> <Td_colspan="3"> Recurring </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sydney Dowland </Td> <Td> Edward Darnell - Hayes (Oscar Lloyd in 1 episode in Series 2) </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Guest </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Recurring </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fisher Bloom </Td> <Td> Matthew McNulty </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Recurring </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> N / A </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Character </Th> <Th> Portrayed by </Th> <Th_colspan="4"> Seasons </Th> </Tr>

Who plays sydney on lark rise to candleford