The series takes place from the summer of 1932 to May 1934.
The North Riding, East Riding and West Riding were real parts of Yorkshire until 1974 when new counties and boundaries were introduced by the government. A riding being a third part of an area. A South Riding therefore could never have existed, but was created by Winifred Holtby to cover the East Riding south of Flamborough (Hardrashead) and east of Hull (Kingsport). The main town in the story, Kiplington, is a hybrid of Withernsea and Hornsea.