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Marsh Mill was built in 1794 by Ralph Slater (who also built Clifton and Pilling mills). Nothing is known about Ralph Slater, but it is safe to assume he knew how to build mills, as his three mills still stand today. (2007)
The then Lord of the Manor Bold Fleetwood Hesketh (1762 –1819, unmarried) lived at Rossall Hall, and asked Ralph to build Marsh Mill. This was his pride and joy, he added new inventions to the mill (which gets its name from the area that surrounded the mill at that time i.e. Thornton Marsh) like Sir William Cubitt (1785-1861) who invented the self-regulating sails, (amongst other things). This William Cubitt should not be confused with the William Cubitt, brother of Thomas Cubitt, builder of Osborne on the Isle of Wight)
The bricks that were made for Marsh Mill were made locally, and made by hand, out of clay and left to dry. They could not be subjected to frost.
Marsh Mill is a TOWER mill and is six storeys high. The cap at the top rotates to bring the main sails (or sweeps) into the wind with the help of the fantail at the back.
In 1896 she was sold to Parkinson Tomlinson, Corn Merchants from Poulton, and the Manager from 1896-1898 was Mr Edmund Freeborn. He is said to have painted the outside of Marsh Mill in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, he also painted the sails and fan tail, all without scaffolding. Marsh Mill stopped producing flour in 1922. Her last Miller was Mr George Bunn. She has had various uses. She celebrated her bicentennial in 1994 and was sold in 2004.
Today she is open at the weekend and she is free to go in on the lower two floors but a small charge is made to view the machinery. There is a video about the restoration, again this is free to watch. Children over 5 are welcome to see the machinery. Wind Power is a thing of the past but fast becoming a thing of the future.
Come in and see the original and possibly the BEST.
By L Walker
North West Mills Group
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