Children of the Stones (ITV 1977, Iain Cuthbertson, Gareth Thomas)

Children of the Stones was a well regarded and generally pretty spooky Children’s serial with a village held in thrall to a sinister stone circle.

Filmed at Avebury, Wiltshire during the long hot summer of 1976 it starred Gareth Thomas as Adam Breck, a scientist, who arrives in the village of Milbury with his son Matthew.

They discover to their horror that the entire village seems to be in some kind of mindtrap, they trace the problem to the stone circle that is located in the village. Breck and his son then discover that Lord of the Manor Hendrick has discovered a way to utilise the power of the stones to put the villagers under his control.

The serial genuinely carried with it an air of menace seldom since equalled in any TV. HTV who made the show were making a habit at this time of producing superior quality kids telefantasy fare such as SKY, King of the Castle etc.

production details
UK / ITV – HTV / 7×25 minute episodes / Broadcast 10 January – 21 February 1977

Writer: Jeremy Burnham / Producer and Director: Peter Graham Scott / Music: Sidney Sager

cast
IAIN CUTHBERTSON as Hendrick
GARETH THOMAS as Adam Brake
FREDDIE JONES as Dai
VERONICA STRONG as Margaret
JOHN WOODNUTT as Link
JUNE BARRIE as Miss Clegg
DARREN HATCH as Kevin

THE EPISODES

1. INTO THE CIRCLE
This children’s adventure serial opens as Adam Brake and his son Matthew arrive in Milbury village. They sense the mysterious power of the neolithic stone circles surrounding the village. Then Matthew has an accident – and Adam literally gets a shock…

guest starring June Barrie (Miss Clegg); Ian Donnolly (Bob); Darren Hatch (Kevin); Gary Lock (Jimmo)

2. CIRCLE OF FEAR
Adam tries to unravel the mystery of the stone circle surrounding Milbury village. One night his son, Matthew, hears mysterious voices…

guest starring Peggy Ann Wood (Mrs Warner)

3. SERPENT IN THE CIRCLE
Was Matthew’s strange midnight encounter only a dream? Questioned by Adam, Hendrick reveals something of the mystery of the stone circle…

guest starring June Barrie (Miss Clegg); Darren Hatch (Kevin); Gary Lock (Jimmo); Richard Matthews (Dr Lyle)

4. NARROWING CIRCLE
More and more of the villagers seem “possessed”. Even Dr Lyle is behaving strangely. But what tragic fate awaits old Dai?

guest starring Darren Hatch (Kevin); Peggy Ann Wood (Mrs Warner); Richard Matthews (Dr Lyle)

5. CHARMED CIRCLE
Dai, the old tramp, is dead and his body has disappeared. Adam ans Margaret are the last two adults to hold out against being “possessed”. When Squire Hendrick invites Margaret and her daughter, Sandra, to dinner, Adam warns them of great danger…

6. SQUARING THE CIRCLE
Adam waits anxiously to find out what happened to Margaret and Sandra at Hendrick’s house. He and Matthew plan to leave, but leaving the stone circle is not that easy…

7. FULL CIRCLE
Adam and Matthew at last discover the truth of the mysterious happenings within the stone circle. But the knowledge brings further dangers…