In a lawless and hungry Britain a family fights to survive
January 21, 2026 7:59 PM Subscribe
The dystopian young adult novel Noah’s Castle, written by John Rowe Townshend, was released in 1975. Written against the background of the 1973 oil crisis, the UK miner’s strike and escalating tension in Northern Ireland - which spilled over into bombing attacks in mainland UK - the novel reflected the increasingly bleak national zeitgeist.
In the book, Britain is without a functional government and on the brink of anarchy, with troops roaming the debris-littered streets and hyperi…
In a lawless and hungry Britain a family fights to survive
January 21, 2026 7:59 PM Subscribe
The dystopian young adult novel Noah’s Castle, written by John Rowe Townshend, was released in 1975. Written against the background of the 1973 oil crisis, the UK miner’s strike and escalating tension in Northern Ireland - which spilled over into bombing attacks in mainland UK - the novel reflected the increasingly bleak national zeitgeist.
In the book, Britain is without a functional government and on the brink of anarchy, with troops roaming the debris-littered streets and hyperinflation pushing the populace to the brink of starvation. The Mortimer family is headed by the cold, authoritarian patriarch Norman who has forseen the coming breakdown of social order and begun illegally hoarding food in the basement of a forbidding brick mansion on the outskirts of the city. Adapted into a 7-part TV series in 1979 by Southern Television, Noah’s Castle is a grim, oppressive document. The haunting theme by synth artist Jugg is instantly evocative.
All 7 episodes: The Castle :: Unwelcome Visitors :: Spies :: Discoveries and Threats :: Pressure :: Departures :: Conclusions
Bonus link: insightful 2019 analysis of Noah’s Castle by Richard McKenna "Waiting for the Flood: ‘Noah’s Castle’ and the Inevitability of Brexit"