Case file · Series 19, Episode 1 · Season 19, Episode 1
The Village That Rose from the Dead
An abandoned wartime village is opened to competing redevelopment plans before one bidder is crushed by a tank.
The 60-second case card
Should I watch this one?
Jamie Winter arrives in a case where an apparently empty village has more claimants, memories and commercial futures than residents.
- Best for
- Winter's first case · Ghost village · Redevelopment
- Archive category
- Landmark
- Team
- DCI John Barnaby with DS Jamie Winter
- Spoiler guidance
- Read the premise freely; open the marked sections only after watching. Check the linked provider advisory for further viewing information.
Why it matters
Jamie Winter arrives in a case where an apparently empty village has more claimants, memories and commercial futures than residents.
Little Auburn was requisitioned by the army during the Second World War and never properly resettled. Its proposed reopening pits an environmentally minded scheme against rival bids, with a judging panel deciding which version of the village will be allowed to live again.
Finn Thornberry is killed beneath a tank, and further deaths strike the family involved in choosing the winning proposal. Barnaby and his new sergeant trace ownership rights, wartime history and an unexpected beneficiary hidden inside the redevelopment process.
Break the seal: reveal the finding
Who was the killer in The Village That Rose from the Dead? (spoiler)
The redevelopment contest exposes an unexpected inheritance and a family history that changes who has the right to decide Little Auburn's future.
More episode detailsProduction, cast, deaths and filming information
Credits, context and checked facts
Production and cast
- TV series
- Series 19
- Episode number
- Episode 1
- Written by
- Rachel Cuperman & Sally Griffiths
- Directed by
- Nick Laughland
- Listed transmission date(s)
- 18 December 2016
- Reported filming period
- April–May 2016
- Detective
- DCI John Barnaby
- Partner
- DS Jamie Winter
- Pathologist
- Dr Kam Karimore · Manjinder Virk
- Principal setting
- Midsomer Worthy
- Casebook tone
- Landmark
Sources accompany the production credits and filming links.
Fictional settings and real filming places are listed separately. Filming links include 1 mapped area; 4 exact sites.
Credits and archive connections
- Writer credits4 episodes credited to Rachel Cuperman & Sally Griffiths
- Director credits9 episodes directed by Nick Laughland
- Release positionCase 111 of 144
- Story characterLandmark · Winter's first case · Ghost village
- Location evidence4 exact screen-use matches
Nick Hendrix makes his first appearance as DS Jamie Winter; Paddy also joins the Barnaby household in this episode.
Village tracking shots establish Great Auburn, while Beamond End Lane, Granary Barn and the Manor House provide Little Auburn's museum and family homes.
Sources for the production file
Published episode chronology and credits ↗Official ITV programme page ↗Filming-location reference index ↗Credits follow the linked chronology. Dates can differ between territories. Consult original credits for story, teleplay and adaptation wording. External synopses may contain spoilers.
Selected episode credits
The Village That Rose from the Dead cast
These selected cast entries link to their published profiles. They do not include every name shown in the end credits.
Sally Phillips
Phillips plays Lucy Keswick in The Village That Rose from the Dead, the opening case of Series 19. Its apparently deserted village offers a suitably odd stage for a performer with a strong comedy background.
Open actor profile →Fiona Dolman
Pippa Haywood
Hugh Dennis
Seeta Indrani
Catherine Steadman
David Burke
Caroline Blakiston
Christopher Colquhoun
Anthony Calf
Angus Wright
William Melling
Edwin Thomas
Matti Houghton
The performers behind this case
Core cast
Follow the cast links for full actor and character guides.
Neil Dudgeon
John Barnaby · Detective Chief Inspector- Messiah
- Life of Riley
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Nick Hendrix
Jamie Winter · Detective Sergeant- Black Mirror
- Marcella
- The Crown
Manjinder Virk
Dr Kam Karimore · Police pathologist- The Arbor
- Trigger Point
- Out of Darkness
Image credits identify the licence used. No programme publicity stills are reproduced.
Forensic team
Dr Kam Karimore
- Credit
- Resident pathologist
- Played by
- Manjinder Virk
Spoiler-controlled deaths
Deaths recorded in this case
3 people die in this case, according to the linked death record.
Break the seal: reveal the list of deaths
- Finn Thornberry
Murder · Crushing
Performer check- Finn Thornberry: Edwin Thomas
- Roderick Craven
Murder · Other recorded death
Performer check- Roderick Craven: Angus Wright
- Milo Craven
Murder · Animal attack
Performer check- Milo Craven: Hugh Dennis
Break a second seal: reveal the verified killer
Who was the killer in The Village That Rose from the Dead? (spoiler)
Julian LennardJulian killed Finn Thornberry after Finn tried to blackmail him over the Little Auburn inheritance scheme, killed Roderick Craven after altering his will and killed Milo Craven to remove the remaining heir. He tried to direct suspicion towards Blake Keswick; Blake's later armed attack on Julian was interrupted and remains separate.
Verified motive
Julian believed the lifelong rumour that Tobias Craven was his father and built a scheme to inherit Little Auburn as the last surviving sibling. He forged Roderick's will, killed Roderick and Milo to clear the line of inheritance, and killed Finn when Finn blackmailed him after being hired to obtain DNA evidence; the episode then reveals that Julian's assumed parentage was false.
Real place → fictional identity
Where was The Village That Rose from the Dead filmed?
Little Missenden village
Used as: Village tracking shots establish fictional Great Auburn.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.Beamond End Lane house
Used as: The property supplies Sylvia Lennard's home and the Little Auburn Museum.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.Granary Barn
Used as: The barn appears as Milo Craven's house.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.The Manor House
Used as: The manor becomes Roderick Craven's home.
Representative photograph of the real filming location; the exact camera angle or building may differ.Sources accompany the identified filming places.
Wider filming areas