Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Wigan Lane "Wigan, 15th August, 1651. Honoured Sir, -The Lord hath pleased, this day to appear for us, in the totall rout and overthrow of the Lord of Derby and his forces, which was increased to about 1,500. He himself, though wounded, escaped, though narrowly. I would only entreat you to send out what horse you have or can get, to ride up and downe the country to gather up stragglers. I cannot enlarge myself at present, but I entreat you to accept of this from him that desires to expresse himself. Your ammunition is come safe. The Lord of Derby I heare is fled towards Bolton, but his sumptures and tresure are here. We intended for Manchester this night, and had hopes to take my Lord Generall's regiment of foot, and to have had five hundred men in readinesse to joyne with them. The Lord Witherington cannot live long. Colonell Boynton and Tyldesley are slaine, and others very considerable. I have divers colonels prisoners. Your very humble Servant, ROBERT LILBURNE."
'So we know the when, but where did this battle take place, and what can the documented evidence tell us about the roads and routes of the 1650's? Although the monument to the battle is on Wigan Lane, it is said that the battle took place near the River Douglas on Wigan Lane. The site later became known as 'Bloody Mountains'. Looking at old maps, 'Bloody Mountains' is shown on the other side of the river in Bottling Wood.
Wigan Lane was then a broad sandy lane bordered by hedges, and was thus as unsuitable a position for manœuvring cavalry as could be imagined; but the time was too short for Lilburne to choose any other ground. Placing his musketeers behind the hedges, he awaited the royalist onset. The place had other memories for him, and perhaps for some of his men; for it was here that he had driven in Hamilton's rearguard in the campaign of 1648. Difficult as the ground was, the combat which ensued was the fiercest of all the 10 years fighting in Lancashire. So furious was the royalist charge that they drove back the Cromwellians far along the lane. In the confined space no manœuvring was possible, and for nearly an hour the cavalry fought at close quarters. At length at the third charge Lilburne brought up a small reserve, and the superior steadiness of the veterans of the new Model prevailed over the impetuous bravery of the cavaliers. The royalists wavered and began to give ground; Widdrington fell dead, Tyldesley was unhorsed and shot down as he attempted to extricate himself from[Pg 194] the press;[233] Derby himself was wounded, and Lilburne's men chased the now broken royalist squadrons down the hill into Wigan. The pursuit and slaughter continued through the streets and town. The rout was complete; Throgmorton and Boynton were also among the slain which numbered 300; 400 prisoners were taken, and the rest of the force melted away. In an hour the hopes of the royalists in Lancashire had been destroyed. The Earl of Derby, who had fought with his accustomed bravery, was surrounded by six of his men and succeeded in reaching the town, where he slipped in through an open door of a house in the Market Place and lay concealed until nightfall. He had a number of slight wounds about the arms and shoulders, and his beaver which he wore over a steel cap was picked up afterwards in the Lane with thirteen sword cuts upon it. In the middle of the night he left his place of refuge disguised in a trooper's old coat, and accompanied only by Colonel Roscarrock and two servants, made his way out of the town and rode away to join the King.