William Melbury and his younger sister Susan live with their mother in grotty rented digs in post-war London. His mother inherits a cottage from her second cousin; but only if she lives in it for five years. Cousin Fay disliked week-enders and wanted Beckfoot Cottage to be lived in. So they move from the south of England to the cottage in Bannermere, Upper Bannerdale. William and Susan transfer to schools at Winthwaite five miles away, a boy's grammar school and a county secondary school. Bill befriends Tim Darren and Sue befriends Penelope Morchard at their respective schools. Bill finds that Cousin Fay also owns a rowboat and they row to the island of Brant Holm in the lake. But the owner of Bannermere Hall stops his tenant the farmer Mr Tyler leasing them the boathouse by the lake. Sir Alfred Askew only bought the property last year when he retired from India, but is determined to play the local squire, complete with monocle. They suspect Sir Alfred of something, go into his woods, and find that he has uncovered an ancient buried skeleton on the lakeside. There are actually five skeletons, possibly from the 9th century during the period of Viking raids, and Sir Alfred has not notified the police of the find. An inquest is held. Later when Bill sees an aerial photo of the lake, he sees shading indicating a burial on the island in the lake. They investigate, and uncover a buried skeleton, but are interrupted by Sir Alfred and his friend Matson an antique-dealer. There are also some silver dishes and flagons, probably the monastery treasure mentioned in an old chronicle of St Coloumbs Abbey in Yorkshire. At the inquest they are deemed treasure trove, as the skeleton was Christian and buried facing east with hands crossed on the breast. As finders the four get three hundred pounds reward each. Sir Alfred claimed it could have been a heathen burial by Norsemen with the items buried publicly; as at Sutton Hoo the items would not be treasure trove but would belong to the landowner. Matson would have sold them for a high price in America.
Bannermere and Bannerdale
In the series, the hamlet of Bannermere is in Upper Bannerdale, and on Bannermere, a lake. Black Banner, a 2783-foot mountain is across the lake. Trease wrote about Bannerdale that in 1940 when he went to teach at a private school in Gosforth three miles inland from Seascale while waiting to be called up:
Social setting
Trease is known for his children's historical novels, but the Bannerdale novels are school stories set in the present and in day schools. The novel revolves around two boys and two girls. Bill and Sue's mother is divorced or separated and wears slacks: It’s not every chap’s mother who can wear them. Mum can. The book only mentions family difficulties, which meant several moves. Kingsland, the Grammar headmaster, is old-fashioned, but caring of his pupils. He disdains the County Sec, but finds that Miss Florey, the headmistress, has worked for an archaeologist he admires. William is in the middle school at the Grammar, and notices that Penny is attractive. William wants to be an author, and buys a typewriter from his share of the reward. Trease talked on children’s books, and went to Millom in west Cumberland. He was approached after a lecture for schoolchildren:
