set in 2007 london, the first episode begins with the ordination of a female curate, mary appleton, who is the first female curate in the fictitious diocese of roslington. moving backwards from episode one, the second episode starts in 1987 with rosie, aged 16, applying for university in roth (little missenden). going back even farther, episode three focuses on rosie's childhood when her father was a dean at roslington cathedral in 1973 (st albans).