A television drama that tells the extraordinary story of the Cragg Vale Coiners is now on BBC iPlayer. And you may just spot a familiar face in the cast.

Even by the standards of the day, life in the Pennines weaving communities of Cragg Vale in the second half of the eighteenth century could be tough. But in the 1760s, this isolated valley, close to the village of Mytholmroyd, became home to a form of financial fraud that produced £3.5 million worth of fake coins (nearly £500 million in today’s money), devaluing the pound by 9% and putting the British economy at risk of collapse.

The story of the Cragg Vale Coiners has been told before in fact and in fiction. Now it has been adapted for the small screen, with a three-part series titled The Gallows Pole showing to BBC Two on Wednesday 31 May 2023.

The full three-part series can be viewed on BBC i-Player.

The series follows ‘King David’ Hartley, a local man who had learnt his trade as an ironworker in Birmingham before returning to his home at Bell House in Cragg Vale, where he began to use his ironworking skills as a cover to clip or file the edges from gold coins, producing counterfeit coins from the shavings and returning the clipped coins into circulation.

Soon, the enigmatic Hartley had gathered dozens of individuals around him in a criminal network that took years to unravel.

Based on a novel of the same name by author Benjamin Myers, The Gallows Pole stars Michael Socha (This Is England, Papillon). Also starring are Sophie McShera (Cinderella, Downton Abbey) who plays Grace, with Thomas Turgoose (This Is England, Looted) as William Hartley, Yusra Warsama (Castle Rock) as Bethsheba, Anthony Welsh (Master Of None, The Flatshare) as Abe Oldfield, Samuel Edward-Cook (Peaky Blinders, Better) as Isaac Hartley, Joe Sproulle (The A Word) as Joe, and Adam Fogerty (Legend, Snatch) as James Broadbent, Nicole Barber-Lane (Hollyoaks) as Susie, Fine Time Fontayne (Peterloo) as Joseph Broadbent, with Ralph Ineson (Peaky Blinders) as The Clothier.

Excitingly for labour historians, the series also sees the screen debut of Jennifer Reid as Barb (seen above in full voice). Jennifer is well known as a performer of broadside ballads – and is also a member of the Society for the Study of Labour History’s executive committee.

Shane Meadows, who created the TV series, says: ‘I really wanted to delve into the history of this story and the circumstances that lead to an entire West Yorkshire community risking their lives to put food in their children’s bellies.

‘It was during the workshopping process with the actors I realised there was also a story to tell leading up to Ben’s incredible book. A prequel that not only allowed us to understand “why” the Cragg Vale Coiners did what they did, but maybe fall in love with them a smidge while they did it. It may have turned into one of the biggest crimes in British history, but it was pulled off by a bunch of destitute farmers and weavers doing what they had to to survive, and I think people will resonate with that.

‘You can tell a story in any century if you care about the characters, but there was something so attractive about this period in British history. Large mouthfuls of West Yorkshire were about to be inhaled by the industrial revolution and our country and its unspoilt sides set to change forever. So it was an honour to be able to go back and hold up a magnifying glass to some of dudes that were living through it.

‘Marry that with a cast that pitches some of the UK’s finest actors alongside an awesome array of brand spanking new Yorkshire talent and you have a series unlike anything else I’ve made before.’

Benjamin Myers adds: ‘Shane has retained the feel of The Gallows Pole and shot it in the very same landscapes that I have been exploring for many years now, and where the true events happened. So it looks, sounds and smells right. Shane is a true auteur, he has a singular vision, and he has taken it off in a new direction. Also, credit should be given to the cast, who range from experienced life-long actors to first timers. He’s a digital alchemist!’

Further information

Watch the series now on iPlayer.

Visit Calderdale tells the story of the Cragg Vale Coiners and suggests visiting Bankfield Museum in Halifax where some of the original dies used by the coiners are on display.

The Cragg Vale Coiners Walk provides a walking map and extracts from The Gallows Pole novel.

Visit Jennifer Reid’s website to learn more about her work.