Battle of Winwick 1648, Big Battlefield Walks Weekend.

Visited September 2025.

The Battle of Winwick also known as the Battle of Winwick Pass and the Battle of Red Bank, was fought on the 19th August 1648.

With the defeat of the royalist forces by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army, the Battle of Winwick was the last battle of the 17th-century English Civil War fought between the King and Parliament.

During the Second Civil War, royalist forces had been recruited in the north of England and they, along with a substantial Scottish force commanded by the Duke of Hamilton, marched south with the ultimate aim of restoring Charles I to the throne. These forces were defeated at Preston on 17th August 1648. They were pursued from Preston by the parliamentarian New Model Army, under the command of Oliver Cromwell.

The Scots chose for their stand a place called Red Bank, where the road from Wigan to Warrington crossed the valley of a tributary of the Newton brook, and passed through a high sandstone bank along part of the southern edge of the valley. The spot lies approximately half a mile to the north-west of the centre of Winwick. The denouement took place to the north of St Oswald’s church, where the Scots, having retreated across the intervening ground, were surrounded.

Cromwell’s own account reads,
'the enemy made a stand at a passe near Winwicke. We held them in some dispute till our army came up, they maintaining the passe with great resolution for many hours, ours and theirs coming to push of pike and very close charges, and forced us to give ground, but our men, by the blessing of God, quickly recovered it, and charging very home upon them, beat them from their standing, where we killed about a thousand of them, and tooke (as we believe) about two thousand prisoners, and prosecuted them home to Warrington town…..As soon as we came thither I received a message from Lieutenant-General Baily, desiring some capitulation to which I yielded…..and the commissioners deputed by me have received, and are receiving…about foure thousand compleat Armes, and as many prisoners, and thus you have their infantry totally ruined.' (Ormerod, 1844).

SOURCE adapted.

The rain was again relentless but it added to the walk and the very early autumn chill. It was fascinating to see the battlefield and walk up past Red Bank, where the Scottish line stood. Considering I have driven up and down the A49 hundreds of times I never knew it was so close by.

Another thing that was interesting was the Travellers Rest Stone that you can easily miss. I have only ever seen one of these in Thatto Heath park, but I think it is a smaller version.

Historic England says;

‘Stone seat for travelling migrants, in particular Irish harvest workers, of 1862 and designed by James Kendrick to suit men, women and children, and inscribed.’

Fancy that.

I had a wonderful time and I hope to do it again in better weather.

Thanks must go to The Battlefields Trust and The Battle of Winwick Society for all their hospitality and massive knowledge and the ladies in the church hall who made and served excellent cake and tea.