Set in 17th century England, a young woman falls in love with a humble villager whose community suffers under the rule of her despotic landowning family.

The Doone family run roughshod over a valley of farmers in the Exmoor region of southeast England in the 17th century. The family coerces their living out of the locals by threats and intimidation. After his father is killed a young boy vows vengeance. John Ridd meets young Lorna Doone and her cousins while planning how to enter the Doone's fortress. He grows up and returns to the area after serving time in the army. John mobilizes the farmers to arm themselves and resist the Doone's extortion. Eventually John enlists the crown's aid and discovers that Lorna is not a Doone but a kidnapped member of a royal family. There is a final confrontation between John, the farmers and the Doones that includes the fate of Laura.