Based on a historical event that you’ve probably never heard of, the new BBC series The Gallows Pole follows a group of downtrodden criminals as they operate in 18th-century Yorkshire. Based on Benjamin Myers’s novel of the same name, which is itself inspired by the real-life tale of the Cragg Vale Coiners, the series stars Michael Socha and Sophie McShera.
Shane Meadows (This Is England), the film’s director, remains mostly true to the book’s substance while adding a few additional twists. This is all the information we have for The Gallows Pole.
The Gallows Pole Release Date
Premiering on BBC2 at 9 p.m. on May 31, 2023, The Gallows Pole will have all episodes posted on BBC iPlayer soon after.
The Gallows Pole Cast
- Michael Socha as David Hartley
After being apart from his family for seven long years, the mysterious David Hartley returns as King of the Coiners. He has returned and is now organizing a band of land workers and weavers to launch a revolutionary criminal operation, including the clipping of coinage.
- Sophie McShera as Grace Sutcliffe
Grace, David’s companion, first meets him at the beginning of the series after seven long years of not seeing him. She plays a pivotal role in assisting the Coiners in launching their business.
- Thomas Turgoose as William Hartley
William is the sibling of David. In addition to his parts in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Intergalactic, and Game of Thrones, Turgoose made his debut in This is England as Shaun.
- Ralph Ineson as The Clothier
The Clothier is a very shady cloth merchant who has become rich from the villagers. Among Ineson’s notable film credits are The Northman, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Green Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2.
- Samuel Edward-Cook as Isaac Hartley
Isaac is the sibling of David. Famous TV roles for Edward Cook include Better, Silent Witness, and Peaky Blinders.
- Fine Time Fontayne as Joseph Broadbent
Neither David nor his father get any attention from Joseph, who lives in the village. Ian Crossley, better known as Fine Time Fontayne, played the part of Henry Wakefield on Coronation Street. Casualty and Doctors aren’t the only shows he’s been in.
- Yusra Warsama as Bethsheba
Abe weds Bethsheba. Warsaw has been in many films and TV shows, including Vera, Our Girl, Castle Rock, Unforgotten, and Call the Midwife.
The other cast members are as follows:
- Rob Galloway as Sid the Snake
- Stevie Binns as Mand
- Nicole Barber-Lane as Susie
- Anthony Welsh as Abe Oldfield
- Adam Fogerty as James Broadbent
- Soraya Jane Nabipour as Darya Hartley
- Charlotte Ockelton as Gwen Hartley
- Joe Sproulle as Joe the Pickpocket
- Jordan Preston as Stagman
- Olivia Pentelow as Hannah Oldfield
- Dave Perkins as Tom Hartley
- Jennifer Reid as Barb
- Stuart Zubrzycki as Billy Vardy
The Gallows Pole Plot
A band of rural weavers in Yorkshire in the 18th century, desperate to maintain their village, perpetrated one of the largest hoaxes in British history—the Gallows Pole. A grittier period drama tells the incredible real tale of the Cragg Vale Coiners. In the first episode of the three-part series, which takes place in the 1760s, Michael Socha, who plays the disheveled David Hartley, returns to his Yorkshire home after living in Birmingham for seven years.
During his time away, he was assaulted on the Moors by an unknown adversary known only as the Stagman. He learns that his father has passed away and that his younger brother Willie, who is married and suffering (played by Thomas Turgoose), isn’t faring any better than the rest of the town because of the mechanization that the Industrial Revolution brought about.
As a result, many of them readily consented to join David’s scheme to mint counterfeit gold coins to augment their salaries. Although their luck turns around fast thanks to the illegal business, they are all too aware that it may cost them their lives if discovered.
Grace, played by the legendary maid Daisy from Downton Abbey, is David’s ex-sweetheart and is still furious with him for leaving her all those years ago. Ralph Ineson, who you may know from The Office, portrays Mr. Arkwright, a local businessman, later on in the series.
Where to watch The Gallows Pole
In the United Kingdom, BBC iPlayer currently has The Gallows Pole: This Valley Will Rise available for viewing. Nevertheless, American viewers may be at a crossroads; a virtual private network (VPN) is required to access BBC iPlayer. To fully immerse yourself in this captivating story, ExpressVPN is the perfect tool for you. Thanks to its dependable service, you may experience the innovative, raw energy of Yorkshire regardless of your location.
The Gallows Pole Trailer
An intense-looking historical drama called The Gallows Pole has just been shown in a teaser by the BBC. It’s just like anything else Shane Meadows would do. Check it out down below…