Three people arrive in a village in Southern England in the early years of World War 2. Alison Smith is a London girl who is due to start working on a farm as a 'Land Girl'. Peter Gibbs is an Englishman conscripted into the army, taking a few days leave before going abroad. Bob Johnson is a U.S. Army sergeant who wanted to go to Canterbury, but got off here by mistake. As they walk into the village, Alison is attacked by 'The Glue Man', a prankster who pours glue in women's hair. The three of them start to explore the area to discover and expose 'The Glue Man' but then get engrossed in the history of the area and the tales of The Pilgrim's Way. The local magistrate, Thomas Colpeper, JP is a local historian and a very mysterious character who leads them further into the mystery.
