Clifford Moor
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Clifford Moor
from The Barwicker No. 88
Clifford Moor has been the site of temporary military camps at various times in the past. It lies just outside the parish of Barwick-in-Elmet some one to two miles northeast of the most northerly point of the parish which is known as Terry Lug. Terry Lug lies just off the Bramham to Thorner road and is at the northern entrance to Bramham Park. The presence of a large body of troops so close to the parish has affected the parish in various ways in the past.
There are three documented references to the gathering of military on Clifford Moor which we know about; there may be others which will come to light in time. In some accounts of past rebellions and wars references have been made to troops mustering at Bramham Moor and "near Tadcaster", which could well refer to gatherings in the environs of Clifford Moor.
The first documented reference to Clifford Moor is in accounts of the Northern Rebellion in 1569. A rebellion led by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland with the intention of "with the avowed object of restoring the religion of their ancestors." They arranged to muster at Clifford Moor and then to march towards London. However, on arriving at Clifford Moor they only had 4000 infantry and 600 horses. Support drained away and the rebellion collapsed.
The next reference occurs in the Civil War where Sir Thomas Fairfax reported that there was a Royalist army of about 10,000 men gathered on Clifford Moor (see The Battle of Seacroft Moor 1643, The Barwicker No.85). Because of the presence of this army, Fairfax had to take a dangerous route towards Leeds from Tadcaster in order to keep the Royalists away from his father's troops and munitions which were trying to reach Leeds from Selby undetected. If his father's troops were not in the vicinity, Fairfax could have saved his own men from their fate by seeking the comparative shelter of the fields and woodland afforded by coming via Aberford, Barwick and Scholes.
In 1745, we have evidence from the parish accounts of an artillery unit at Clifford Moor being supplied by the parish with fodder. This was paid for by Barwick and claimed back after the rebellion had ended. In 1715, London was threatened from Scotland by the Jacobite rebellion in a similar manner to 1745. On that occasion, Bramham Parish accounts referred to troops being stationed on Bramham Moor. We do not have the parish accounts for Barwick but it is quite likely that the parish would have been involved in a similar manner to Bramham and to 1747.
We should consider why Clifford Moor, in particular, and Bramham Moor to a lesser extent should be used to station troops and why Barwick-in-Elmet parish has avoided such a role. The location is the most likely reason. Clifford Moor occupies high ground to the west of Clifford and north and west of Bramham. It is astride the Great North Road and also is well placed to obstruct and control trans-Pennine movement between Lancashire and York. In addition it is within easy reach of the bridges over the River Wharfe at Wetherby and Tadcaster. We know that there were Royalist detachments guarding both those bridges at the time when the Royalist army was at Clifford Moor. Bramham Moor is a little too far Wetherby to maintain the same control.
Before modern transport was available, armies needed local food and fodder from local sources to survive. It would be obtained from the locality without regard to local needs and the unarmed local population would be unable to do anything but accede to the needs of armies. Apart from the 1745 accounts we have no record of supplies being purchased from the parish. The account of the Battle of Seacroft Moor shows that the inhabitants supplied passing troops with drink (and possibly food?). While, in the main, the parish has avoided direct involvement in conflict, it has not escaped the consequences of being located close to the many of the battlefields of Yorkshire.
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