Lytham Windmill...
Lytham's best known landmark, the Windmill, contains a seasonal museum with a series of exhibits focussed on the "History of Mills and Milling" and the "Heritage of Lytham St Annes and the Fylde Area".
The Museum, which annually attracts an average of 20,000 visitors from all parts of the world, was established in 1989 by Lytham Heritage Group. It is run voluntarily by The Group's members and houses exhibitions and displays spread over 4 floors, including explanations of the milling processes and a history of the Grade II listed building. The basement shows a tableau of life in Victorian Lytham.
Windmills have featured in Lytham’s history for hundreds of years. In 1805 Richard Cookson sought and obtained a lease from the Squire for a plot of land on which to build a ‘windy milne’.
Throughout the nineteenth century Lytham steadily increased in popularity as a holiday resort and the arrival of the railways meant more people could enjoy the fresh salt air and healthy sea bathing! Visitors were no doubt intrigued by the unusual setting of Lytham Mill, for by 1840 the sand hills and marshy ground had been levelled and the grassy expanse known as the green extended far beyond the mill. People held picnics and took donkey rides beneath the shadows of the sweeping sails and the donkeys must have eyed the cart ponies as they trundled past with their heavy loads and probably there was sympathy on both sides!
Later, in 1860, when the prestigious houses in the area were being built the residents looked upon the Windmill as an “industrial nuisance”!
On the 2nd January 1919, a tremendous gale turned the sales despite the powerful brake and sparks ignited the woodwork. The Windmill was quickly ravaged by fire, the interior being entirely gutted.
The Windmill remained derelict until 1921, when it was given by the Squire to the Lytham Urban District Council. In 1989, the Windmill was restored by Fylde Borough Council and opened to the public.
The Windmill is situated on Lytham Green and is open to the public during the season and entry is free of charge. For more detailed information, visit www.lythamwindmill.co.uk