Heidi Thomas stated she "adored" writing about Miss Pole, saying she "lived inside her". Imelda Staunton, who played the character, said that her character's story and that of Julia McKenzie's were interwoven with the other major characters.
Judi Dench had read the novel 'Cranford' at school, and when a neighbor lent her the book, she was vividly reminded of it. She stated that she hoped that the remake would "make people want to read her."
The straw bonnet with a pale blue ribbon worn by Judi Dench (Miss Matty) is the same costume worn by Kate Winslet (Marianne Dashwood) at Barton Cottage in Sense and Sensibility (1995), and by Maggie Smith (Betsey Trotwood) in David Copperfield (1999).