Inspired by the real-life story of the Cragg Vale Coiners this route takes in several key locations that feature in the acclaimed novel The Gallows Pole, which charts the rise and fall of ‘King’ David Hartley and an 18th century criminal enterprise that rocked the national economy.
The route begins in the heart of Mytholmroyd and rises up through the beautiful woodlands of Bell Hole (now Broadhead Clough) before approaching Bell House,
Hartley’s remote home on the edge of Erringden Moor. Extracts from the novel can be read in the locations where real-life events took place in the 1760s, while additional notes and sketches offer a deeper understanding of life in this unique corner of Yorkshire.
A unique collaboration between novelist Ben Myers and cartographer Christopher Goddard, the diverse route takes in ancient woods, moorlands, stunning views and haunts of the murderous Cragg Vale Coiners, and can be enjoyed by readers and walkers alike.