What Is The Setting For The BBC Series “Poldark”?

This series, which was first shown in 1976, is set in Cornwall in the late 18th century. The setting is a tin-and silver- mining area, and the mines which affect the fortunes of the Poldark family are at the centre of the story. The original novels by Winston Graham were historically meticulously accurate; the series occasionally glamourises the poverty and violence of the period, but on the whole is a faithful adaptation which gives a strong sense of the importance of the mines to the survival of the whole community – the work is dangerous and extremely difficult, but young men queue up to do it as there are few other sources of income. Of even more importance than the mines in the series, or the ongoing war with France which also affects their lives, is the saga of the Poldarks themselves, centring on Ross Poldark's (Robin Ellis) infatuation with his cousin's wife, Elizabeth (Jill Townsend), which persists even after his marriage to the miner's daughter Demelza (Angharad Rees).

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