The teleplay by Heidi Thomas adapted three works by Elizabeth Gaskell: the novel Cranford, the novel My Lady Ludlow, and the novella Mr Harrison's Confessions, plus material from 'The Last Generation in England.'

The series was originally scheduled to begin filming in 2005 with six planned episodes, but budget cutbacks reduced it to five episodes and pushed filming back to early 2007.

Although the story is set in Cheshire, none of the exteriors were actually filmed there; locations included Surrey, Hambleden, Windsor, Radnage, Leighton Buzzard, Berkhamsted, Wycombe, Syon House, Isleworth and Oxford, with interiors shot at Pinewood Studios.

A large portion of filming took place in the village of Lacock in Wiltshire, a popular filming location also used for Pride and Prejudice, Emma, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Wolfman, and the Harry Potter films.

Original director Steve Hudson was replaced six weeks into filming; according to star Eileen Atkins, he 'didn't really understand why it was funny.'

For the 2009 sequel Return to Cranford, the railway sequences were filmed at the Foxfield Railway in Staffordshire.

The 2009 Christmas special Return to Cranford brought back stars like Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton and Julia McKenzie, while adding new cast members including Jonathan Pryce, Celia Imrie, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery and Tim Curry.

The first episode drew 8.43 million UK viewers and ranked #6 for the week, outperforming ITV1's usually dominant I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, though viewership dropped to 7.26 million by the finale.