The Gallows Pole: Shane Meadows TV drama shows Cragg Vale on its knees but here's why it is now a des res village

The final episode of the three part series aired on BBC2 last Sunday and tells the first part of the remarkable true story of the Cragg Vale coiners, an 18th century gang of coin clippers led by “King” David Hartley.

Clipping was a serious crime that involved obtaining officially minted gold coins from wealthy and corrupt individuals and clipping the edges off them. These were melted down to produce counterfeit currency.

Hartley led the villagers of Cragg Vale out of poverty and near starvation by putting them to work in his clipping operation after the village, which sits above Mytholmroyd and is close to Hebden Bridge, was devastated by the emerging industrial revolution.

Those who relied largely on income from the cottage textiles industry, working from home with a spinning wheel and hand loom, were rendered redundant by a slump in demand for Worsted cloth and the advent of textile mills.

Working for David Hartley at his family’s remote farmhouse, Bell House, put food on the table and clothes on their backs. It is estimated that the Cragg Vale Coiners paid £3.5m, which is £490m in today’s money, of fake coins into the Bank of England in the 1760s, devaluing the pound by nine per cent and almost causing the British economy to collapse.

David Hartley paid with his life after the illicit enterprise was discovered and he was hanged at the gallows in York on April 28, 1770. He is buried in the village of Heptonstall in the grave where his grandmother, Grace, lay. He was just 25 years old.

Bell House still exists though using it for filming was never considered as it is remote and also had a contemporary modern makeover around 10 years ago.

The then owners hired renowned Halifax based architects Gagarin to restore and extend the old place while bringing in light and making it a home fit for the 21st century.

The team at Gagarin say: “Bell House is in a wonderfully sublime and remote location high on the moors above Cragg Vale. It was perfect for covert criminalities and acts of resistance by the coiners but less so for an involved construction project. How our suppliers got the glass needed across that moor was a feat in itself.”

The TV exposure has once again showcased the wild, natural beauty and historic homes that characterise the area and estate agents have no doubt that it will have an effect on the number of home hunters checking out properties and prices, just as Happy Valley did before it.

The quirky, independent spirit in Hebden Bridge and its rail links to Leeds and Manchester are a huge draw for home buyers. Heptonstall, where a former museum was turned into the coiners’ favourite pub for filming, is also sought after.

Claire Sheehan, who runs her own eponymous estate agency covering Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and the surrounding West Calder villages, says: “Hebden Bridge is always popular and the filming here has increased interest but what we find is that people buy in the town to start with but then their next move is often Cragg Vale.

“It’s a beautiful valley with moorland and reservoirs at the top. It’s quieter and more rural than Hebden Bridge and it has more properties with gardens, though it’s not cut off as it’s only a short drive from Mytholmroyd.”

Claire adds: “You don’t see the half of it when you are in the heart of the village because there are lots of hidden communities off the beaten track.”

In recent times, before the book and the TV drama, the village’s best known claim to fame was the Cragg Vale hill climb on the B6138 road which is the the longest continual ascent in England. Cyclists love it. It also boasts a church, Craggies farm shop and cafe and two pubs, The Robin Hood and the Hinchliffe Arms.

For those looking to buy in Cragg Vale, where the average terraced house price is £181,000 and the average semi is £366,667, there are slim pickings.

Crag Holme, a former mill owner’s house, is one of just two homes for sale there. The detached Victorian property has five bedrooms, gardens and parking and is on the market with Claire Sheehan for £600,000.

There’s also a lot of interest in the old Cragg school, which is being developed into six homes. Four have sold and another is due to come to market with EweMove for circa £440,000.

Russell Blackhurst, owner of Crag Holme, says: “We have lived here for 25 years. It’s a great place to live and bring children up in. My wife is a fell runner and we are keen cyclists so it’s perfect. The only reason we are selling is to downsize but we would like to stay in Cragg Vale, if possible."

*The Gallows Pole is on BBC on iPlayer. Read Benjamin Myers book and visit www.visitcalderdale.com/the-cragg-vale-coiners-and-the-gallows-pole/ for the full story.