Marsh Mill rises above Thornton as a remarkable survivor of Lancashire’s rural industrial past.
Built in 1794 by Fylde millwright Ralph Slater for Bold Fleetwood Hesketh, the five-storey tower windmill once ground locally grown grain.
It continued working until 1922 and was restored to operating condition between 1986 and 1990. Complete with its drying kiln, sails and much of its historic machinery, this Grade II*-listed structure is believed to be the only mechanically complete windmill of its kind remaining in north-west England
The mill is wonderfully complete inside and has been etched with protective marks on its most important parts - in particular, the sack hoist shaft which harbours a faint pair of apotropaic hexafoils.
They are more prevalent in churches and it's unusual to find them in such an industrial/agricultural setting. Other parts of the timbers show signs of having had candle marks burnt into them - thought to protect from fire.
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