Recently moved to the village of Essington St Mary, Rob Carswell discovers the plight of his new neighbour Ilsa who is battling illness as well as the bullying tactics of a local builder. It is proving to be a more dramatic corner of Wiltshire than the tranquil atmosphere would suggest. Nearby, Amy Hatherall is feeling adrift following the death of her mother, but a final handwritten letter leads her in an unexpected direction to a great-aunt she never knew she had. As the line of old hawthorn trees begin to blossom, they keep watch as romance and new beginnings bloom for the residents of the close.