The battle at Clifton took place between a rearguard of Prince Charles Edward Stewart's Jacobite army as they retreated from Derby and elements of the Duke of Cumberland's Hanoverian forces that were in pursuit. The Jacobites had failed to gain enough support for their uprising and the promised French army had not landed in the south, making it a doomed enterprise.
"The Battle of Clifton Moor is not as well documented as many of the battles fought in the 1745 rising. Some historians claim it as nothing but a skirmish. However in Jacobite terms it is every bit as important as Prestonpans or Falkirk. The ferocity of the “Highland Charge” once again proved its worth to the Prince’s army ... The victory of the Highland forces that night allowed the rest of the Prince’s army to cross the border to Scotland unmolested and saved many of the loyal men and women the possibility of having to give their lives up to 'foreign soil'." Despite another victory at Falkirk the rising came to a bloody end at Cullodon in April 1746 and 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' was forced into exile. In 2006 a group of Scots came and re-dedicated the Rebel Tree. See the Crann Tara website.
There are several small memorials at Clifton to these historic events. The co-ordinates will take you to "The Rebel Tree" where a grave marker and plaque record the last resting place of 12 Scottish soldiers. The final cache site is at another nearby spot with two plaques. You may also like to visit the lovely old St Cuthbert's Church at the north end of the village where there is a grave stone for the "Troopers of Bland's Regiment" who lie there. Opposite the church is a footpath to Clifton Hall. This 16th-century pele tower, sole survivor of the manor house of the Wybergh family, was plundered by Jacobites before the battle. It's generally open and free.
One of the Iron Masters of the industrial revolution was born in Clifton, lived through these 'revolutionary' times and later helped English military might by imrpoving the production of cannons. 'Iron Mad Wilkinson' was born here in 1728 and is buried in Lindale in the South Lakes.
If you would like to explore the history of the Last Battle on English soil, here's a link: Wikipedia
The cache:
You will find the Rebel Tree at the co-ordinates at the top of the page. It's a great old oak with a marvellous twisted trunk. Take a moment to read the inscriptions and contemplate the events of December 1745.
Using the brass plaque on the stone: count the number of words in the first line then multiply by the number of words in the second line; multiply the answer by the words in the third line; and then that answer by the fourth line, to give a grand total. Add this total to 561 to give the lattitude 54° 37.???
For the longitude: add all the digits in the fifth line together and add the total to 196 to give 002° 43.???
New housing estate built by the tree. If you park near the Rebel Tree you should be able to walk to the cache - ignore the silly wooded fence. Close to the Rebel Tree is the George & Dragon pub, award winning food, or park on the side roads, the A6 is legal but busy.
We tried to find a spot for a larger cache but it wasn't to be, so it's a micro vial, magnetic. Hope you enjoy your visit to the last battlefield in England.