Listen free for 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
The Gallows Pole cover art

The Gallows Pole

By: Benjamin Myers
Narrated by: Malk Williams
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £18.99

Buy Now for £18.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

From his remote moorland home, David Hartley assembles a gang of weavers and land workers to embark upon a criminal enterprise that will capsize the economy and become the biggest fraud in British history. They are the Cragg Vale Coiners, and their business is clipping - the forging of coins, a treasonous offence punishable by death.

©2019 Ben Myers (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about The Gallows Pole

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    140
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    150
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    133
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The gruesome tale of the Cragg Vale Coiners

Being from West Yorkshire and interested in local history I read the Gallows Pole when it was first published and loved the gruesome tale of "King" David Hartley and his merry band of counterfeiters in 18th Century Calderdale. I liked it so much that went over to Mytholmroyd to re-trace the footsteps of the coiner gang through Bell Hole Woods and up to King David's home at Bell House on the edge of Erringden Moor and afterwards visited the White Lion pub in Heptonstall and the excellent local museum that includes coiner artefacts. I also purchased the excellent album by the Shining Levels of folk song inspired by Ben Myers' novel.
When I saw that Gallows Pole was now on Audible too, I instantly handed over coin again to hear the story told over again. And I am glad that I did. The narrator Malk Williams has the Calderdale voices down perfectly and I sat back and enjoyed the richness of the descriptions of the valley and the countryside and the colourful dialogue of the gang of forgers and the valley folk. To me, listening to this adds another dimension to the enjoyment of this story and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Tough, 'ard', foul and sweary

Ten hours of poetic Northern swearing combined with long lists of names and some of the most creative threats ever uttered in fiction. Beautiful, enigmatic, and memorable.

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Rare 5 Star review

I think only a couple of other books have moved me to 5 stars before. This is terrific stuff - a rollicking story, beautiful, coarse, earthy poetry and fantastic pacy narration. It’s essentially a Western with the back drop of the Yorkshire moors but also a book about a world on the cusp of fundamental change and the impact that will bring. It’s also a true story. One of those books I was genuinely trying to find time to listen to and I raced through it in a week.

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved every moment.

An amazing story which will inform and enlighten its readers about the character of the Calder Valley then and now! Not sure about the narrator's grasp on all the place names but it's a minor point and will only grate on those from the area.

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating insight into defacing currency

Very well written account of a forgotten era of history when coins could be clipped

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Authentic narration

Grand use of narration to bring otherwise hard to read phonetically written dialect to life in order to relate a fictionalised account of an incredible historical story perhaps little known today outside its locale until this book justifiably won the Walter Scott Historical Fiction Prize. Excellent all round.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting, informative and entertaining.

I very much enjoyed this audiobook. I knew nothing about the coining trade in the 18th century and was fascinated by the gumption of the coiners. Although I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, I was moved by the descriptions of poverty and found some of the violent scenes really shocking. All credit to the author, this book is incredibly well written.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Canny story

Listened to this in prep for Shane Meadows production. Wasn’t expecting what I listened to and was pleasantly surprised. Liked the author’s style of writing, which I am pleased to have followed. Can’t wait to watch this.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

easy read and a must if you're a Calderdale born

this made a lot of sense after I was born in this valley. I understand the hardship of these folk and their need to make the best of a tough life. great depiction of the Yorkshire mindset...not the criminal bit, mind, but the stubborn, strong-willed but devoted type.

great history book.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • CD
  • 23-05-23

Very good.

Really enjoyed the book. Excellent narration as well. Recommended- really interesting story and history as well.