The DEADLY English Street You WON'T Have Heard Of

In todays video I went in search of the Halifax Gibbet. An early execution device, which may have inspired the french guillotine. It potentially dates back to the 1200s and was used for punishing and detering theives.

Can you believe that the last execution by the French guillotine took place the same year the first Star Wars movie came out...1977! That fact blows my mind. But by the time the guillotine was introduced in the 1700s, the Gibbet had already been banned from use.

It was on Gibbet Street in Halifax, in Yorkshire. Halifax was incredibly wealthy throughout the industrial revolution, so this video is both a look at its boody history and a tour of its remaining industrial heritage.

I hope you enoy this fun historical tour today.

Until next time,

W.T

#crime #death #history

[KateVeeoh]

From drunk David reporting on sinkholes to intrigued David going down knowledge rabbit holes, your channel is a joy to watch 😄

[marinab]

Turnip, I've never seen one of your vids that wasn't either intriguing or interesting and informative. You rock! Thank you for making us a little bit smarter one vid at a time! 😁🤓❤love from Italy 🇮🇹

[AnonAtry]

I nominate the Wandering Turnip for England cultural minister

[chrisspeight]

I’m a Halifax lad and I’ve been wondering why you haven’t been yet. There’s so much history in Halifax. Keep up the great videos!

[johnthewiz]

Loved this one! I live round the corner from Gibbet St so pleased to see it featured by someone! I still think the Running Man needs a rebuild. Something to reflect the grisly history of the place. I envy you your energy - you made it all look so easy to get to - which we all know it isn't. If you ever want to do ancient stones hidden up around Hebden, let me know. I surveyed them all when I lived there - when I was able to get up hills, that is.

[leaturner]

you should have your own TV programme, your enthusiasm is absolutely inspirational. Thank you for another brilliant vlog.

[spikewulfenden]

Hi hope you've had a great Xmas dude. I grew up in Halifax and used to play around the gibbet. It's original location was at the top of woolshops, at the borough market. I've played on the original stage in the piece hall. It was built to look like a coloseum. I even helped build that stage back in the 90's. I live over in Cheshire these days. There's so much history in Halifax, one of the Brontés lived at Shibden Hall. I'm amazed the pub is still there! All the old architecture, not just Halifax, but all along the calder valley. The condemned were led around the town, on an old road called dark lane, of which small parts survive today, like Swan bank, complete with the catsteps. A Hovis ad waseven shot on swan bank, later lampooned by Walkers crisps with Gary Lineker. I loved the smell of the chocolate factory, the Rowntree Macintosh thats now Nestlé. The whole story about Wainhouse tower and the rivalry and jealousy between them and the Crossley family the tower being used to spy n all that. I dont if ya know this snippet but, the guy who invented catseyes - Percy Shaw. His factory is still working in Boothtown - made some extra large ones and had them installed at the top of the tower, during ww2. So much history. Thanks for the ace video. 🤘

[ellenoneill]

So great to see someone highlighting the history of our northern towns and the industry that fuelled the modern world. So often over looked. Looking forward to all you have show us in 2025.

[gailstevens]

Thank you for your wonderful video about Gibbet Street. I have ancestors who lived in Gibbet Street in the 1800s, and I researched the name, so I knew about its history. It was lovely to see the street and the contraption. I'm an Aussie, in my 70s and won't get the chance now to see it for myself. Happy New Year David, I love your passion and enjoy watching you take us with you on each adventure.

[michaeldowd]

This guys enthusiasm for history is infectious 👍

[peterellis]

Love your work - I'm a Halifax boy but only been back intermittently since I was 18 - which is 30 years now. It's a stunning town.

[suekey]

Happy new year….. I am an Halifax lass I haven’t lived there for over 50 years made me proper homesick… thank you so much … my uncle worried at Dean Clough Mills and he would take me and my brother there on a weekend to see the carpets being made… no health and safety back then 😀 when I go home now I stay by Gibbet Street…. I remember Piece Hall was derelict and a dumping ground it’s lovely now isn’t it….he also would take us to his friends house Percy Shaw the man who invented cats eyes…. Thank you for the memories x

[Kty-]

Never seen so much passion for a chimney a joy to see 😊❤

[valerieslater-xo]

WOW !! I am gobsmacked to see all this absolute BEAUTY in Halifax, who knew this incredible history ? Not me mate....thanks so much for the thrilling information lesson, can't wait to see what else you are going to uncover in 2025...

[markandjanice]

Amazing video, and all over the place in a good way. You started covering Halifax’s grim execution history, then the Halifax’s more general history, but then you got distracted by some magnificent chimneys. Class content.

[andrewjames]

The white chimney was rowntrees macintosh, now nestle. I'm from halifax and the history is brilliant,

[daweshorizon]

'Hell, Hull and Halifax', from the old poem 'The Beggar's Litany' and morphed in the twentieth century into the song 'Dalesman's Litany' ('Hull, Halifax and Hell' being the re-ordered refrain).

Hull used to make it's poor people work for their measly 'benefits' before the 1834 Poor Law. Halifax, being a wealthy cloth-making town, basically had the death penalty for even minor offences. Hence the gibbet.

As a result, the preferred location for a hard-up person (from the three options) would be Hell. At least it would be warm. Allegedly.


Love and peace.

[MikeGarveyBlues]

Reminds me of growing up as a kid in Blackburn in the 80’s. Huge chimneys and old mills everywhere. No idea what it’s like now. Spent the last 30+ years in Warrington surrounded by giant metal sheds, aka, warehouses. You’ve inspired me to get out more in 2025. Cheers WT!

[alansmithee]

A'reyt Turnip. Happy New Year to you and anyone reading this comment. I used to work in Halifax and those places are very familiar. I reckon I would pass the gibbet on my way to get a chop suey. Fat bottom chimneys making the rock world go round at the stone cutting office. All that stonework was really stacking up, keeping the town running man.

[ccg]

Wandering Turnip (or David) is a national treasure. These videos are wonderful and I wish some kind of title were conferred upon him.
I'd love a vid about the methods of chimney construction in particular how a uniform taper was achieved and the mechanism for hoisting stone to the top etc.
BRILLIANT!