As our never-ending obsession with the likes of Downton Abbey and Bridgerton has proven over the years, there’s nothing we love more than a period drama. Except, of course, a meaty true crime thriller. Obviously.

Imagine our glee, then, when we learned that critically acclaimed director Shane Meadows has taken it upon himself to blend both genres with a must-watch adaptation of The Gallows Pole. And that the starry series is due to hit our screens very soon indeed – 31 May, to be specific.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s the plot of The Gallows Pole?

The Gallows Pole, based on the novel of the same name by Benjamin Myers, tells the story of “an England divided” as it fictionalises the “remarkable true story of the rise and fall of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners”.

“West Yorkshire, early 1760s,” reads the synopsis. “David Hartley is returning to his family’s remote moor-top dwelling after seven years away in Birmingham.”

So far, so Taboo. But wait, it gets better…

The Gallows Pole is the new true crime series we can’t wait to watch