When a section of the vault of the Kingsbridge Cathedral collapses Merthin, now an apprentice carpenter, shows his genius by developing a cheaper means of repair than his master. Ten years later, in 1337, Caris and Merthin are in love. Ralph is accepted as a squire under the Earl of Shiring, while Merthin is pushed to the far less prestigious role of apprenticing himself as a carpenter. This disgrace drives their sons Merthin and Ralph to seek to regain the family's fortune and honour. Forced to default on these debts he is disgraced, his property confiscated and he and his wife are left as pensioners to the Priory. After this Sir Thomas flees to Kingsbridge and seeks refuge in the monastery, becoming a Benedictine monk, while the four children swear never to speak of what they saw.ĭuring mass at All Hallows, Gwenda is forced by her father to steal the money that Sir Gerald was supposed to use to pay his debts to Kingsbridge Priory. The children then flee, with the exception of Merthin, who helps the wounded Sir Thomas bury a letter with instructions to dig up and deliver it if and when Sir Thomas should die. Together the children witness two men-at-arms killed in self-defence by Sir Thomas Langley, aided by Ralph. Four children – Merthin, Caris, Gwenda, and Merthin's brother Ralph – head into the woods on All Hallows Day.

The novel begins in the fictional city of Kingsbridge, England in the year 1327.

It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones who also directed the historical epic Rob Roy. The eight-part television event miniseries stars Cynthia Nixon, Miranda Richardson, Peter Firth, Ben Chaplin, Charlotte Riley, Sarah Gadon and Tom Weston-Jones. It premiered on Showcase in Canada on 4 September 2012 in the United States on Reelz Channel on 17 October 2012 on Channel 4 in the UK on 22 December, and on Star Movies in the Philippines in January 2013. The author was inspired by real historical events relating to the Cathedral of Santa María in Vitoria-Gasteiz.Ī television miniseries based on the novel aired worldwide in 2012.

The plot incorporates two major historical events, the start of the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death. World Without End takes place in the same fictional town as Pillars of the Earth – Kingsbridge – and features the descendants of some Pillars characters 157 years later. It is the second book in the Kingsbridge Series, and is the sequel to 1989's The Pillars of the Earth. World Without End is a best-selling 2007 historical fiction novel by Welsh author Ken Follett. Cover art of World Without End, UK edition (2007)

Ken follett world without end tv series