The unsettling series Children of the Stones introduces viewers to the quaint village of Milbury, where scientist Adam Brake (Gareth Thomas) and his son Matthew (Peter Demin) are soon drawn into the mysteries surrounding ancient standing stones. Brake, intending to study the electromagnetic properties of the stones, uncovers a more sinister reality: the village, under the influence of the enigmatic squire Hendrick (Iain Cuthbertson), a former astrophysicist, is in the grasp of unusual psychic forces.
As Matthew explores the village, he forms an alliance with Dai (Freddie Jones), a local vagrant who claims escape from Milbury is impossible due to the stones’ power. What begins as a scientific study quickly twists into a strange tale of time loops that stretch back thousands of years.
Children of the Stones, despite being intended for a younger audience, doesn’t shy away from mature themes and unsettling atmosphere. Thomas portrays a believable academic, while Demin offers a suitably curious and concerned counterpoint as his son.
Cuthbertson’s portrayal of Hendrick is chillingly effective, embodying the quiet menace of a rural autocrat, while Jones brings a sense of ancient wisdom to his role. The show’s use of location filming at Avebury in Wiltshire adds to the unsettling ambience, and its soundtrack reinforces the peculiar atmosphere. The narrative, though dense for its target demographic, has a lasting appeal. The 2012 sequel novel, Return to the Stones, written by Jeremy Burnham, revisits the narrative with an adult Matthew, underscoring the show’s enduring cultural impact.
Children of the Stones aired on ITV (Made for the Network by HTV).
Years ran: 1977
Number of Episodes: 7
Creators: Jeremy Burnham and Trevor Ray
Cast: Gareth Thomas, Peter Demin, Iain Cuthbertson, Freddie Jones
