Lytham Windmill
Lytham Windmill stands on the Green at the heart of Lytham St Annes in Lancashire, one of the most recognisable landmarks on the Fylde Coast and a symbol of the town's maritime and agricultural heritage. The mill was built in 1805 and worked as a grain mill for several decades before ceasing commercial operations in 1922, and its distinctive white cylindrical tower has been carefully preserved as an important piece of local industrial history. The mill is a tower mill design, the most common type of windmill in Lancashire, with a rotating cap housing the sails that could be turned into the prevailing wind regardless of its direction. At its operational peak the mill used the strong westerly winds blowing off the Irish Sea to drive its millstones, grinding wheat and other grains into flour for the local community. The surrounding area of Lytham is flat agricultural land, characteristic of the Fylde Plain, and the mill originally dominated the skyline in a way that is hard to appreciate now that the town has grown around it. Today the mill houses a small museum telling the story of the building and its role in the agricultural and maritime history of Lytham. The green setting and the views across the Ribble Estuary from the surrounding area help place the mill within its original landscape context. Lytham Green itself is one of the most pleasant open spaces on the Lancashire coast, a broad strip of grass along the estuary shore that is popular with walkers and kite flyers. The town of Lytham is a genteel and well-preserved Victorian resort town with an attractive town centre, independent shops and a character distinctly different from the more brash resort of Blackpool a few kilometres to the north. Lytham Hall, a fine Georgian country house visible from the town, and the yacht clubs and sailing facilities along the estuary reflect the genteel character of the place that attracted prosperous Victorian and Edwardian families to settle here. The surrounding area also includes the famous Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club, one of the venues for The Open Championship.