It’s the symbol not only of the town, but of Fylde as a whole and renowned across an ever wider geographical spectrum by the rise of Lytham Festival in recent years to go with
the area’s outstanding reputation as a top class golf venue and its wealth of natural delights.
As autumn’s elements have ravaged our coastline, first one sail, then two and then a third fell victim to the conditions.
But experts are on the case now and we look forward to the 216-year-old landmark looking its very best again soon.
Wareing Buildings, a specialist family-owned firm now in its fifth generation based in Kirkham, removed the remaining sail on Tuesday, while the work on the sails is being carried out by N
Gillett and Son in Kirkham on behalf of the council.
Our photographer Dan Martino was on the Green to capture them at work.
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Pictured L-R are Rob Isles from Wareing's, Ian Clough, Nicholas Gillett and Joe Gillett from N.Gillett & Son
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Fylde Council owns and maintains the windmill, which previously lost a sail to high winds in 2011. Following that, the remaining three were removed to allow for repairs to the windshaft support.
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Andrew Wareing, joint managing director of Wareing Buildings, said: “We have taken down the remaining sail that wasn’t damaged and that will be used as a pattern for the other ones. “The main, bespoke work is being done by Joe Gillett who is a craftsman extraordinaire, and his son Nicholas who is a chip off the old block. Their work is second to none.”
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A sail snapped in two in blustery weather on the evening of Friday, October 1. It was later found to be rotten inside. A second sail was damaged in further bad weather last week and by the start of this week, the windmill was down to a single sail.
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Lytham Windmill may look very different after weather damage to three of its sails – but expert craftsmen are on the case to restore the iconic landmark