In 1801, Lockwood, a wealthy young man from the South of England who is seeking peace and recuperation, rents Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire.

He visits his landlord, Heathcliff, who lives in a remote moorland farmhouse, Wuthering Heights. There Lockwood finds an odd assemblage: Heathcliff who seems to be a gentleman, but his manners are uncouth; the reserved mistress of the house who is in her mid-teens; and a young man who seems to be a member of the family, yet dresses and speaks as if he is a servant.

After his visit to the Heights, Lockwood becomes ill, and is confined to his bed for some length of time. The housekeeper, Ellen Dean, who is looking after him, tells him the story of the family at the Heights during his convalescence.