observer Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 Heard of a battle (skirmish) at Red Bank, just north of Winwick Church; when Charles II came down with a Scots Army, to be ultimately defeated at Worcester by Cromwell. But just read that there was another engagement at "Warrington Bridge", site of the current bridge, where 2,000 Scots attacked the Parliamentary rear-guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 From what it sounds Obs, the battle was part of a running battle from Preston,through Wigan & on to cross the Mersey at Warrington. 1648 i believe. I think you might find more info if you search Battle of Winwick Pass. It is a pity more isn't made of the battle as a tourist draw for the area because by all accounts it was a pretty important exchange between Royalists & Cromwell's troops & much of the battlefield is still in situ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 I've heard of the Battle at Warrington Bridge before although when I searched for info about it a few years ago there was very little about it.I just had another quick google and found this website page where it is mentioned....It gives a run up to the battle at Warrington, which apparently was in 1651, and says that "As soon as Cromwell heard that Charles was on the march, he detached his 2nd in command, Major General John Lambert with 3000 cavalry, to join up with Harrison. Supplementing their combined forces with local militias, they marched westward and attempted to stop Charles at Warrington. However they were unable to concentrate sufficient troops there in time and the small Battle of Warrington Bridge on 16 August was a royalist victory"Best to read the whole page here though for it to make sensehttp://www.thebattleofworcestersociety.org.uk/info-the-campaign/4587008720 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 two years ago, at Walton Hall Heritage Day,( coincidentally this year's event is on this Sunday), i met Richard Ward from Winwick. He is THE expert on the battle of Winwick Pass and we corresponded extensively about this. For an extremely comprehensive account of the Civil Wars in this area see http://ourlocalvoice.co.uk/?page_id=171it includes details of a skirmish at Warrington Bridge, although not in 1651, Joe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Thanks for the link Joe, fascinating read so far PS what time is Walton Hall Heritage open day on Sunday? I didn't know it was open as it's not listed on the museums list of open places with all the others. I wonder what else is open that they haven't actually listed too :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 11-00am to 4-00pm see https://www.warrington.gov.uk/waltongardens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted September 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 I believe the civil war, as civil wars tend to do, resulted in the highest per capita casualty rates in our history ? In Ireland, as high as 40% of the population, Scotland 6%, and England 4%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 It seems to me that the actions of the Parliamentarians maybe weren't as democratically noble as we like to believe. Although all classes of society were involved on both sides of the war it seems pretty extreme in my view that a force that was, so called, for the people would inflict annihilation or colonial slavery on the captured Royalist foot soldiers ,most of whom probably came from the labouring classes of the time, as did their own cannon fodder. What came about was regime change which was probably not much different to the many ,bloody, foreign revolutions that the Mother of all Parliaments has seen fit to condemn over the last 400 years. Apart from being on the winning side, were their efforts any more laudable than those of Pol Pot, Saddam or Chairman Mao? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted September 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Read up on the Levellers and Diggers Dave; the buds of socialism were around at that time, sadly a bougois Cromwell stifled it's development, cos secular, pragmatic politics was stifled by an obsession with sectarian religious bigotry. When ordinary peasants could be trained, as with Cromwell's Ironsides; to meet and defeat their "betters", in battle; questions as to why their "betters" should monopolise ownership of the land and it's political control, began to be asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 11-00am to 4-00pm see https://www.warrington.gov.uk/waltongardens Thanks Joe, I thought you meant the Hall was open as part of the Heritage Open Days events being held across Warrington and the country this weekend. Now I have a dilemma there's way too much going on in Sunday and I doubt I'll be able to get to the country fair too. Sounds really good too, fancy having it on the same weekend as everything else. Bad planning that Anyway...back to the battle of Warrington Bridge etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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