Clifton Moor Skirmish 1745
Marker: recorded battle location (no official boundary).
Key facts
| Date (year) | 1745 | Wikidata P585 point in time |
|---|---|---|
| Century | 18th century | derived |
| Period | Jacobite & later | derived |
| Country | England | derived |
| War / conflict | Jacobite rising of 1745 | Wikidata |
About the battle
The Clifton Moor Skirmish (also referred to as the Battle of Clifton Moor or Clifton Moor Action) took place on the evening of Wednesday 18 December during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Following the decision of the council of Charles Edward Stuart to retreat from Derby on 6 December, the fast-moving Jacobite army split into three smaller columns; on the morning of 18th, a small force of dragoons led by Cumberland and Sir Philip Honywood made contact with the Jacobite rearguard, at that point commanded by Lord George Murray.
Murray ordered his baggage train to continue its retreat towards Penrith while he delayed Cumberland's force. The action did not begin until late afternoon, in failing light and heavy rain; while technically a draw, it enabled Murray to retreat in good order and escape into Scotland.
The battle is considered to be one of the last battles on British soil.
Visiting the battlefield
Location
- Recorded location (Wikidata; may be approximate): 54.6270, -2.7180
Battlefields are often on private farmland: please keep to public rights of way and respect landowners.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Clifton Moor Skirmish (revision 1370611682), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations removed. No text added.
Battle location from Wikidata (CC0).