When the peaceful atmosphere of Barchester is destroyed by a scandal concerning the financial affairs of an almshouse, Septimus Harding, the kindly warden who devotes his life to the care of the establishment's twelve elderly residents, finds himself in conflict with his daughter's suitor, the zealous reformer Dr John Bold, who employs the full might of the press against his prospective father-in-law. The first in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, The Warden is both a humorous satire of the Church of England and a poignant insight into the manner in which public matters impact private lives.

The author of more than forty novels, Anthony Trollope (1815-82) is best remembered for the much-loved Chronicles of Barsetshire series.