The Battlefield

The site of the battle is high ground in Adwalton

Adwalton

Adwalton is village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. It is south west of Leeds and is now generally regarded as part of the larger village of Drighlington...

 (now commonly considered to be part of Drighlington

Drighlington

Drighlington is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan district, West Yorkshire, England. The village lies 5 miles south west of Leeds and 4 miles south east of Bradford...

) near Bradford

Bradford

Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

, which is now in an area of rural-urban fringe, (map reference SE2228). Parts of the site are protected as "green belt

Green belt

A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...

" or other types of open space. It is the only battlefield recognised by Bradford Metropolitan District Council as falling within its boundaries. There are plaques interpreting the battlefield for the visitor.

The battle

The Earl of Newcastle, the Royalist Commander, was marching on Bradford (which was Parliamentarian

Roundhead

"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...

 in sympathy) with 10,000 men. Fairfax

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...

, the Parliamentary commander, had 3,000-4,000 men in Bradford. However, despite his inferior numbers, Fairfax came to intercept the Royalist army as Bradford was ill-prepared to resist a siege. The strong Royalists defeated the Parliamentarians.
The battle was of medium term significance, consolidating Royalist control of Yorkshire.

Museum Displays about the Battle

There is a display relating to the battle at Bolling Hall, Bradford

Bolling Hall, Bradford

Bolling Hall is one of the oldest buildings in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is currently used as a museum and education centre. The building is about a mile from the centre of Bradford. Its surroundings are suburban in character....

, a museum which lies a few miles from the site and was itself a Royalist base. Oakwell Hall

Oakwell Hall

Oakwell Hall is an Elizabethan Manor House located in the village of Birstall, West Yorkshire, England and set in period gardens surrounded by of country park....

 is another museum which throws light on the Civil War in Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

: although the hall is situated only walking distance from the battlefield, it falls outside the boundaries of Bradford and within those of Kirklees

Kirklees

The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...

.