A Horseman Riding Byis a trilogy of novels by RF Delderfield set in Devon in the period between the end of the Boer War in 1902 and the funeral of WInston Churchill in 1965. It is an elegy for a lost England, and was adapted for television by the BBC in 1978.
The first novel, Long Summer Day tells of the protagonist, Paul Craddock, buying an estate in South Devon following his retirement from military service, and intertwines Craddock’s family saga with the historical events of the period leading up to World War I.
It is followed by Post of Honour, set in the inter-war period and ending with Craddock’s son Simon returning safely from Dunkirk.
Finally, The Green Gauntlet covers the rest of World War 2 and the post-war period. It ends with the death of Paul Craddock, symbolically happening shortly after that of Churchill.
The 1978 BBC adaptation by Alexander Baron, directed by Philip Dudley, starred Nigel Havers as Craddock. It was shown in 13 parts on Sunday evenings, but only adapted the first novel in the series. It has never been repeated, though it is available on DVD.
