Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, early modern

Battle of Solway Moss

Battle of Solway Moss was a battle fought on 24 November 1542 at Solway Moss, in what is now United Kingdom. It was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars. The recorded result: English victory. Recorded strength: 15,000–18,000 against 3,000.

See it on the globe Read the article

The River Esk, Arthuret A short stretch of the river enters this grid-square. Most of the rest of it is occupied by the MOD Longtown site, unseen on the other side.
The River Esk, Arthuret A short stretch of the river enters this grid-square. Most of the rest of it is occupied by the MOD Longtown site, unseen on the other side.. Andrew Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought24 November 1542
WhereSolway Moss, United Kingdom55.011N, 3.026W
OutcomeEnglish victory
BelligerentsKingdom of ScotlandagainstKingdom of England
Casualties and losses20 killed; 1,200 prisoners; hundreds drownedand7 killed
Battlefield todayBattle of Solway Moss battlefieldHistoric England entry 1000034, 346 ha
Part ofAnglo-Scottish Wars

Where it sits in the Anglo-Scottish Wars

Battle of Nesbit Moor, 1355Battle of Duns, 1372Battle of Otterburn, 1388Battle of Nesbit Moor, 1402Battle of Homildon Hill, 1402Battle of Yeavering, 1415Battle of Piperdean, 1436Battle of Sark, 1448Capture of Berwick, 1482Battle of the Firth of Forth, 1489Battle of Haddon Rig, 1542Battle of Solway Moss, 1542Battle of Ancrum Moor, 1545Battle of Pinkie, 1547Siege of Haddington, 1548Battle of Drumlanrig, 1548Raid of the Redeswire, 157513551575Battle of Solway Moss, 1542
17 placed engagements of the Anglo-Scottish Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date24 November 1542
PlaceSolway Moss, United Kingdom
55.011N, 3.026W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength15,000–18,0003,000
Casualties and losses20 killed; 1,200 prisoners; hundreds drowned7 killed
Commanders
  • Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell
  • Oliver Sinclair
  • Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton
Battle of Solway MossBattle of Solway MossBattle of SarkBattle of Sark5 km55.011N, 3.026W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the registered battlefield area (Historic England). Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1542

Historic England registers this as the Battle of Solway Moss battlefield (entry 1000034), 346 hectares, under the Open Government Licence.

Battle of Solway Moss is one of 1,390 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 695 in present-day United Kingdom.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2890025, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Solway Moss, revision 1379342428, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from Historic England (Open Government Licence). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.