Education
Educational information -
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Little Marton Windmill
STOP PRESS THE MISSING SAIL
The wood, which is Douglas Fir has arrived from Vancouver and now is being made. It will hopefully be ready for summer! Master craftsmen, Joe Gillett & Son of Wesham are to make the sail as they are the millwrights for Little Marton Windmill. Gradely Chaps!!
An Interview On The Sail Has Been In The Gazette At Joe Gillett's Yard
Where work on the sail is in progress!
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ROMAN BRICK found in the wall of Little Marton Windmill
most of the other bricks (circa) 1500 (nearly all)
Evidence a windmill stood on same site in 1665
THE HISTORY AND MYSTERY OF LITTLE MARTON WINDMILL
Little Marton Windmill is a rebuild of another tower mill which stood on the same site as a previous post mill. The owners instructed the lease holders to use the hand made bricks which were made locally. It was finished in 1838 for Widow Whalley and her son John. John Whalley became the miller.
A post mill has been on that site according to William Yates map 1786 including over 40 other wind and watermills dotted around the Fylde. There was a tidal mill on Waterloo Rd, halfway towards the sea and the mill at Great Marton. Great Marton Windmill stood next door to the now Oxford Hotel until it was demolished in 1900.
The land all over Marton was owned by the Clifton family, John Talbot Clifton of Lytham Hall and Lord of the Manor. (hence Clifton Hotel and Clifton Rd)
Little Marton Windmill when finished stood in two perches of land.
The completion date was 1838 and caused quite a commotion in the village of Marton as it was a great attraction seeing the mill rebuilt. There was also a drying kiln to be built so Mrs Whalley had her lease extended.
In 1838 John Whalley was the miller until 1898, then the Bagot family took over the lease in 1922. George Bagot being the miller. John Talbot Clifton, of Lytham Hall, sold some of his extensive lands and the mill, field and miller's cottage were then bought and owned by the miller Cornelius Bagot. He and his family lived at (The Graham's House) on the opposite side of the road to the mill which was once the Old Coaching House and remains there now, only in ruin after a fire.
CORNELIUS BAGOT
Cornelius became the Chairman of C& S Brewery Ltd and the mill bore the slogan 'C & S Ales on the outside wall for many years. He and Allen Clarke were good friends and when Allen died the mill became a memorial to Charles Allen Clarke, to be used as a museum funnily my own mother and father Allen's youngest son Teddy was asked would they like to run it as a cafe my mother declined.
A plaque commerating ths kind gesture of the Bagot's was placed on the outside of the mill.
THE YEARS AFTER MILLING CEASED
In 1953 the tenants of the mill were the Shepherd family who manufactured poultry appliances.
In 1955 May 24th Blackpool Corperation took the ownership of Little Marton Windmill and various suggestions for its use were put forward. One councillor George Peeks even suggested the demolition of the mill. Other ideas were for a library, art gallery, Methodist Church, and my own mother Gwendoline Clarke was asked if she would like to run a cafe. My mother with a busy household sadly declined this offer.
In 1968 the windmill had to be repaired and a Lincolnshire firm of millwrights put a new roof and 33ft sails and a total outside repaint was performed, costing £3,000.
From 1970 Blackpool Corporation allowed the 53rd Blackpool Scout Group of St Wilfred's to use the mill as their headquarters and in raising money they fitted new frames, windows, floors, toilets, washbasins and doors. They also installed water and electricity. This work was carried out by the scouts and their parents.
Kevin Benfold has looked after the interior of the mill right up to the Friends gaining access. Thank you Kevin!! (HE still has a great affection for it)
MILL GETS ITS LISTING!
Grade II listing was awarded to Little Marton Mill in 1982 but by 1985 the mill had become unsafe as a headquarters and so the then, Borough Surveyor Mr John Wilson, ordered repairs to be done costing £70,000. The mill was then only used as a scouts storage unit. Briefly the Windmill Group had it as their storage but the scouts continued to be lease holders for a peppercorn rent until recently.
During the following years work was carried out on the mill by Joe Gillett & Son from Wesham.
In 1994 exterior lighting thanks to generous donations from several local firms raised by Cllr Joan Greenhalgh and her daughter Pat Diamantes J.P.
The Mill was repainted in 2002 and in 2003 the council replaced a replica plaque on the outside of the mill after Allen Clarke's grandaughter Shirley Matthews B.A. (hons) campaigned for it to be shown to the public.
THE FORMATION OF A FRIENDS GROUP
After a meeting at Progress House in 2007 set up by the Chairman of the Blackpool Civic Trust, Elaine Smith , who is a supporter of the mill and the then, Head of Cultural & Lifelong Learning, Pat Hansell and myself Shirley Matthews it was decided a Friends of Little Marton Windmill should be formed and that was the new turning point, of the years of campaigning.
PROGRESS AT LAST!
THE BICKERSTAFFE CONNECTION
Allen had a very good friendship with Robert Bickerstaffe, known locally as 'Coxwain Bob,' and when he was manager of the Central Pier in Blackpool both he and Allen witnessed the sinking of the Foudroyant. Bob was then the manager of the pier and that afternoon as Allen was busily in his publishing shop on Shaw Rd he heard that the ship was stranded near the pier.
He rushed home to tell Eliza and with their two children and they headed to the scene standing on the pier with other sightseers. Allen talked to Bob who said it all could have been avoided and that he had warned the Captain of the Fourdroyant how temptuous the North West winds and erratic tides were but the Captain ignored Bob's advice and so the ship was in the sea near the pier. There were pleny of oohs and ahhs as the ship struggled with the weather, ever advancing towards the pier but never colliding with it. Eliza and the children went home but Allen remained there all night, chattering with Bob to whom he had a great respect.
He saw the whole thing first hand refusing to budge from his position on the pier until Eliza came to get him. Bob's wife made a £500 donation to the Speedwell Fellowship when Little Marton Windmill was made into a memorial to Allen Clarke.The media coverage has been excellent and continues to create public interest in Little Marton Windmill as being the centinel gateway to Blackpool.
"The Friends of Little Marton Windmill," visit: www.littlemartonwindmill.org.uk
Past Present
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Past & Present Brochure
of 'LITTLE MARTON WINDMILL'
made by
students and staff of
Highfield Humanities College
Blackpool
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1984 original plans of Little Marton Mill's refurbishment have been donated to The Friends of Little Marton Windmill.
More to follow as this section under construction.....
S. Matthews
22 September 2009, shirley