Tom Hiddleston

Railway construction is thwarted when Mr. Buxton refuses to sell land that the railway must cross. Matty urges Mr. Buxton to test the railway's influence and drastically changes the future of Cranford. The ladies of Cranford are in a frenzy of excitement about the imminent visit of Lady Glenmire. Until, Mrs. Jamieson announces that none of them is of high-enough social standing to meet her.

The fair arrives in the village and Mrs Hughes finds herself the centre of speculation when she meets a former suitor who makes her question her position at Downton. Meanwhile, Violet and Isobel lock horns over a medical ailment affecting Molesley, and Carson fears there is a thief at work in the grounds.

Cora's attempts at matchmaking are dashed when Mary is smitten not by intended target Evelyn Napier, but by his handsome friend, Turkish attache Kemal Pamuk. The couple's mutual attraction sparks a train of events whose consequences ripple through the entire household. Gwen is deeply humiliated as her secret ambition is exposed, and Bates takes extreme action to cure his limp.

Everyone is anxious at the arrival of Matthew Crawley, the heir presumptive, but he soon encounters problems settling into his new life in Downton, and his mother Isobel immediately crosses swords with Violet. Meanwhile, butler Carson is mortified to be confronted with his past, and housemaid Gwen seems to have a secret correspondent.