All have a windmill on their patch and to mark this the civic heads united to launch a new exhibition that celebrates the Fylde's rich milling heritage.

Still intact are Lytham Windmill, Little Marton Mill and Marsh Mill at Thornton, yet the area once boasted 40 working wind and water mills between the rivers Ribble and Lune.

Their days are recalled in Windmill Land, a display open daily 10am to 4pm (except Sundays) until November 18 at Lytham Heritage Centre, Henry Street.

The name Windmill Land was originally coined by one-time journalist Allen Clarke in 1916 when a book was published following a series of his articles in the Blackpool Gazette News.

His enthusiastic descriptions of the Fylde coast and countryside helped bring an influx of Lancashire tourists keen to follow his windmill trails – particularly from his home town of Bolton, which he referred to as Steam Engine Land.

For that reason, the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde mayors were joined by their counterpart from Bolton at the exhibition, co-organised by Allen Clarke's granddaughter Shirley Matthews.

Among the items is a huge working model of Little Marton Mill made by the students of Highfield Humanities College.

Miller

The exhibition, staged by Lytham Heritage Group, is sponsored and mounted by the Friends of Little Marton Windmill in co-operation with the Mills Section of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings.

One of the aims is to give an insight into the life and times of Allen Clarke and his association with Little Marton Windmill and its miller Cornelius Bagot.

Another is to feature those redundant and decaying mills which, surplus to requirement, would have been demolished and lost to posterity had they not been put to alternative use.

Shirley Matthews said: "The exhibition, a celebration of the Fylde's rich milling heritage, has been extensively researched and among early visitors have been owners of Clifton Mill, Staining, Kirkham and Treales mill."