Marsh Mill

Marsh Mill was built in 1794 by Ralph

Slater and was commissioned by the

then local Squire, Bold Fleetwood

Hesketh.  The Mill was built on low-

lying common land where villagers

grazed their animals and was prone to flooding, this is believed to be why locals referred to the Mill as

'Marsh Mill'.  Hesketh drained the

common land of Thornton Marsh in

1799 turning it into fertile, arable land.

After 1066 all Mills were owned by the Lord's of the manor and his tenants were obliged to grind their corn at their Lord's Mill.  The Mill would have been an integral part of the daily life of Thornton folk.  In return for grinding the corn a percentage was retained in lieu of 

Marsh Mill c1905

Photograph courtesy of Fleetwood Library

Millers were often distrusted within the local community as farmers suspected they took more than their fair share.

Marsh Mill is a tower Mill, made from locally handmade clay bricks.  Standing at 70ft and five stories high with sails measuring approx 35 feet, it is one of the tallest windmills in the Fylde.  This type of Mill has a cap which is able to rotate to face the wind powered by the fantails at the rear.  The wooden staging running around the outside of the Mill at the first floor level was originally intended so the Miller could 'set his sails'.  The original sails were made from a wooden frame covered in sail cloth which had to be adjusted according to the wind.

In 1896 the Mill was sold to Parkinson Tomlinson, a corn merchants from Poulton, who upgraded the Mills machinery.  Soon afterwards the Mill stopped grinding flour and milled only produced animal feed, before finally closing in

Marsh Mill - 2009

1922.  From 1928 the first two floors of the Mill were used as a tea shopbut it was eventually left to decay in 1935.

In 1957 after local pressure it was purchased by Thornton Cleveleys Urban District Council for £1200. 

Inscribed Stone Door Lintel

Work finally began in 1965 and new sails and fantail were fitted.  When one of the sails blew off in 1983 the other sails were removed for safety reasons and the Mill remained sailess for the next 5 years.

The new sails finally turned for the first time in over 60 years on the 16th of January 1990.  It was quite a

One of two Plaques - Marsh Mill 1794

     Marsh Mill     

 Marsh Mill Village

Fleetwood Road North

Thornton-Cleveleys

Lancashire

Tel: 01253 860765

sight as many people had never seen the windmill in working order.

Today the Mill is open on weekends and bank holidays.

Guided tours of the Mill are available at a small charge.

Additional Reading

Ken Emery