Duncton Wood and its sequels have as its protagonists anthropomorphic moles living in Moledom, a community in Great Britain.

In the course of the books, individual moles travel great distances quite quickly (Duncton Wood in Oxfordshire to Siabod in Wales and back again, for example).

Almost a decade later, Horwood completed two directly related sequels that follow the events of the first book, in which the central character is Bracken and Rebecca's son Tryfan.

In the midst of these events is the birth and martyrdom of the Stone Mole, a focal messianic Christ figure named Beechen.

The story tells of the archival librarian mole Privet and her adopted son Whillan as they face the rise of an inquisitorial cult that calls itself The Newborns.