| Summary : Site of the Battle of Adwalton Moor, 1643. In the early stages of the first Civil War, the Parliamentary cause in the North was upheld by the Fairfax family, the Royalist party by the Earl of Newcastle. To break the power of the Fairfaxes, which was concentrated on the cloth towns of West Yorkshire, the Earl of Newcastle marched on Bradford in June 1643 with 10,000 men. To defend the town, which could not have resisted a siege, the Fairfaxes advanced from Bradford with 3,000 - 4,000 men and gave battle on Adwalton Moor.The Parliamentarians achieved initial success, but once they were out on the open moor there was a sudden change of fortune. The Royalists' pikemen pushed the Parliamentarians back, their cavalry turning retreat into flight. The Royalists had won.The victory at Adwalton Moor gave the Royalists control of the North for the remainder of the year. It was second only in significance to Marston Moor in the history of the Civil Wars in the North.The landscape of 1643 was one of hedge-lined fields on the lower slopes and moorland with coal pits higher up. The expansion of housing and roads over the last 150 years has dramatically altered the character of the battlefield. The site of the battle is a Registered Battlefield. |
More information : [SE 222 283] Site of Battle of Adwalton Moor [GT] 30th June 1643. (1)
On 30th June 1643 a battle took place on Adwalton Moor between some 10/12,000 Royalist troops under the Earl of Newcastle, and some 3,000 Parliamentarian troops under Lord Fairfax. The latter were defeated, and retired to Bradford, which was then besieged by the victors. (2)
Registered Battlefield. For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England (3 & 7)
Site of the Battle of Adwalton Moor. In the early stages of the first Civil War, the Parliamentary cause in the North was upheld by the Fairfax family, the Royalist party by the Earl of Newcastle. To break the power of the Fairfaxes, which was concentrated on the cloth towns of West Yorkshire, the earl of Newcastle marched on Bradford in June 1643 with 10,000 men. To defend the town the Fairfaxes advanced from Bradford with 3,000-4,000 men and gave battle on Adwalton Moor. Regardless of the odds, Fairfax enjoyed the first success when his army drove back the Royalists from the lanes and enclosed fields around Westgate Hill. In this terrain the Parliamentarians were less vulnerable to attack. Fairfax, therefore, decided to establish a defensive line within the enclosures on the edge of the moor. This neutralised Newcastle's topographical advantage and forced the Royalists to attack. Seeking a way into the enclosures, Newcastle's men were funnelled towards a gap in the hedge were they received a hot welcome from the Parliamentarian musketeers. However, having beaten back several assaults, the Parliamentarian left flank were emboldened to pursue the Royalists from the skirts of Aldwalton Moor up onto the heights above. Once clear of the enclosures, the shock of the Parliamentarian advance was absorbed by the greater number of Royalists, who counter-attacked. This was the critical moment in the battle. With their lines broken in the push of pike and outflanked by Royalist horse, the tide of battle turned irrevocably against the Parliamentarians. Their victorious battle became a bloody retreat. The victory at Adwalton Moor gave the Royalists control of the North for the remainder of the year. It was second only in significance to Marston Moor in the history of the Civil Wars in the North (4-5)
Battlefield Report (6)
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