Geograph - photograph every grid square

By the 16th century the town of Halifax had become a major producer of cloth, all of which had to be dried in the open air and was vulnerable to theft. Strict punishments were imposed to deter thieves including death by beheading for theft of items above a certain value. Fifty three men and women were executed by the Halifax Gibbet between 1541 and 1650 when the gibbet was dismantled, possibly as a response to the execution of King Charles I in 1649. In 1974 a replica was built on the original site in Gibbet Street, including a casting from the original blade which is now on display at the Bankfield Museum in Boothtown.