The Gallows Pole is a three-part BBC Two drama written and directed by Shane Meadows, adapting Benjamin Myers’ novel of the same name. Produced for the BBC by Element Pictures, Big Arty Productions, and A24, all three episodes premiered together on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 31 May 2023. It’s a self-contained limited series rather than an ongoing franchise — Meadows has described it as a prequel to Myers’ source novel — so there’s no earlier season required before watching.
The series dramatizes the story of David Hartley, who assembles a gang of Yorkshire weavers and land-workers into a counterfeiting operation that grows into the biggest fraud in British history.
Quick Facts
| Title | The Gallows Pole |
| Format | 3-part TV mini-series |
| Network | BBC Two / BBC iPlayer |
| Premiere Date | 31 May 2023 |
| Based On | The Gallows Pole (novel) by Benjamin Myers |
| Writer/Director | Shane Meadows |
| Producers | Element Pictures, Big Arty Productions, A24 |
| Composer | Goat |
| Score Album Release | 7 July 2023 (Rocket Recordings) |
| Genre | Period Drama, Crime |
Who Composed The Gallows Pole Soundtrack?
The score is by Goat, the anonymous, mask-wearing Swedish psychedelic-rock band who say they hail from Korpilombolo in northern Sweden. The Gallows Pole is their second on-screen score, following the 2017 British horror film Double Date. Rather than composing to picture in the traditional sense, the band read Myers’ novel for inspiration and used passages from the book as a springboard for studio jams, which were then edited into the series.
The Gallows Pole: Original Score was released digitally on 7 July 2023 via Rocket Recordings, with a 12″+7″ vinyl edition following for Record Store Day on 20 April 2024. The album compiles five new score cues with three previously released Goat tracks, including “Let It Burn” (originally a 2018 single), which closes every episode and was one of Meadows’ key inspirations while producing the series. Additional traditional period music was researched and performed by cast member Jennifer Reid alongside fiddler Tom Kitching, and the series’ opening theme is “What Happens When You Turn the Devil Down” by The Mystery Lights.
Every Track on the Score
| # | Track | Length |
| 1 | Let It Burn | 6:03 |
| 2 | Mind Is Like the Sky | 10:56 |
| 3 | Field Raga | 4:13 |
| 4 | Jazzman | 5:16 |
| 5 | The Gate Is Open (The Temple Lies Within) | 9:28 |
| 6 | Vallåt | 3:36 |
| 7 | Fill My Mouth | 3:01 |
| 8 | Gathering of Ancient Tribes | 6:18 |
Where to Stream
The Gallows Pole: Original Score is streamable on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. The series itself airs on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom; as of this writing it has no confirmed streaming home in the United States, so US viewers will need to check for a BBC-linked platform or import option directly. (External link: Film Music Reporter)
Cast
- Michael Socha as David Hartley
- Sophie McShera as Grace Sutcliffe (later Hartley)
- Thomas Turgoose as William Hartley
- Ralph Ineson as The Clothier
- Samuel Edward-Cook as Isaac Hartley
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed The Gallows Pole soundtrack?
The score was composed and performed by Goat, the anonymous Swedish psychedelic-rock band. It’s their second on-screen score, following the 2017 British horror film Double Date.
Is The Gallows Pole based on a true story?
Yes. It’s a fictionalized dramatization of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners, an 18th-century Yorkshire counterfeiting gang whose operation became the biggest fraud in British history.
How many episodes are in The Gallows Pole?
Three. All three episodes premiered together on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 31 May 2023.
Where can I listen to The Gallows Pole score?
The Gallows Pole: Original Score is streamable on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp, and was pressed to vinyl for Record Store Day on 20 April 2024.
Is The Gallows Pole streaming in the United States?
As of this writing, the series has no confirmed US streaming home; it airs on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom.
Related reading: TV Soundtracks | Streaming Guide