Police Constable Nick Rowan moves from London to Aidensfield, North Riding, Yorkshire to be the new village bobby with his wife Kate, who was born and grew up in the area and hopes for a position with the local GP Dr. Ferrenby. Rowan soon starts to make himself known among the locals and gets his first case. A woman thinks she is being stalked and wants him to look into it. Furthermore there is trouble brewing between local boys on motorbikes and outside hooligans for him to deal with, and his new section sergeant, the old-fashioned Oscar Blaketon from the nearby Ashfordly police station whose lifelong ambition it is to see the local rascal Claude Jeremiah Greengrass behind bars, is giving him a hard time too.

Strange things are happening at Kirlby Moor. A car driver runs down a sheep when he tries to avoid a drunken hiker, Mr. Holroyd goes missing on a fishing trip to the moor and on the bus driving across the moor the conductress Hannah Davis is subjected to indecent exposure by a drunken passenger they had just picked up on the moor. But that is not the only problem for PC Rowan. Sergeant Blaketon keeps him, PC Bellamy and PC Ventress on their toes due to an upcoming inspection at the Ashfordly police station.

Charlie Denby's record store is a popular stamping ground for teenage boys, and somebody is giving the police anonymous tips that his interest in the youths is more than just that of mere friendship. Meanwhile Greengrass is making a bob or two doing some gardening for Rene and Frances Kirby, but he seems more interested in their antiques. So when they ask him to sell some of it for them he would not be Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, if he did not try to make a killing on the deal.

PC Rowan is investigating a case where two barns have been burned down by a young man on a motorcycle. Furthermore, trouble is coming the way of Rowan and his wife when he gives justice of peace Angela Hamilton a parking ticket and she considers herself above the law in such petty cases. Mr. Sykes is having trouble with his neighbor Fiona Lambton who refuses to tie her horse, which is constantly ruining his garden. And Greengrass of all people is reporting a case of poaching.

PC Rowan has to deal with a neighboring dispute between Dick Radcliffe and Matthew Chapman.. Chapman will not let Radcliffe or anybody else cross his land on the way to and fro Radcliffe's farm, although Radcliffe claims it's a public right of way and the only other road is blocked. The matter escalates when Chapman shoots at three kids on their way to do some odd jobs for Radcliffe and they pull a prank on him in return and he blames Radcliffe for it.

A series of burglaries puzzles the police. Apart from stealing the silverware of the houses he breaks into the thief also tidies up the place. Furthermore PC Rowan suspects that the local saint miss Stirling is up to something. His suspicion seems to be confirmed when an incomplete set of figures she bought at an auction turns up complete at Ashfordly Hall. Kate Rowan has been filling in for Dr. Ferrenby while he has been injured, and now he offers her a job at his practice. But she has doubts although she has wanted that position since they arrived. Alan Maskell, a young man Rowans has helped setting up a motorcycle repair shop, is getting married to his fiancée Sandra and his father asks Greengrass to be in charge of transportation. But his lorry is not quite suitable so he "borrows" another one.

A ban-the-bomb demonstration outside the nearby Fylingdales radar station has been announced and sergeant Blaketon turn down an offer of outside help believing it will only be a small gathering. But matters are complicated by the visit of the American ambassador to the area and the arrival of the prominent activist Paul Melthorn. Melthorn is assaulted at the protesters' camp site on lord Ashfordly's field - courtesy of Claude Greengrass - by troublemakers working at Fylingdales.

Aidensfield is visited by a family of gypsies. When PC Rowan goes to investigate a complaint against them he notices that the father of the family has a bad cough and asks Kate to have a look at him. But his wife will not let her in claiming nothing is wrong with him. Actually he was born in Aidensfield and has returned to die of cancer. Blaketon is not happy about the situation and orders Rowan to get rid of them to avoid trouble. Too late it seems when their eldest son Milos befriends the vicar's daughter Anna upsetting her fiancée Jamie Hunter. When the Hunter's farm and the church are broken into Milos is blamed, but everything seems too neat to PC Rowan.

High profile murder in Aidensfield! When Mrs. Gerard gets home from church she finds her husband Andrew shot dead. Since Gerard was a well-known retired Scotland Yard detective, his former colleagues are called in from London to solve the case, which attracts a lot of news media interest too. Alan Maskell, who Rowan has helped setting up a repair shop, gets into trouble when a car he has repainted for a customer turns out to be stolen.

When Alan Maskell is charged with accessory to car theft although he helped the police to catch the thieves he makes a run for it to London. PC Rowan has been offered a position in a new anti-drug unit within the Yard, and he decides to look for Alan and bring him back for the trial since he has to go to the capital for an interview anyway. Blaketon is in high spirits when Greengrass is caught trying to sell some sheep which may be stolen. When George Ward is having difficulty driving his car and serving drinks Kate Rowan suspects he is seriously ill.