Woolley's Mill

A mile west of Tongue End was Woolley's Mill at Windmill Farm, one of the fifty windmills listed as working in Deeping Fen in 1763 to drain some 30,000 acres of farmland.

The mill ground corn and other grain brought in by barge along the River Glen and navvies working on various drainage schemes over the years were housed there and fed from the adjoining bakery which also supplied residents of Tongue End.

It was not uncommon for up to 60 navvies at a time to be living at the Mill House. The mill closed in 1912 and has since been demolished.

Another mill, Ward's Mill, was built in 1910 alongside the Division Drain between the parishes of Bourne and Thurlby. It was built by Mr Jonathan Ward, a local farmer, and was made of timber and also drove a wheel for drainage but was blown down in a gale within a year of construction. It is unlikely to have been a particularly solid structure because the mill sails were made of canvas and these had to be frequently reduced or increased in size according to the strength of the wind.

Jonathan Ward, who lived at the Manor House, Thurlby, farmed on a large scale and is recorded as saying: "Any fool can farm in bed when it's dry but you have got to be out and about when it's wet." He always had a five-gallon jar of whisky with a tap at the bottom available and he never allowed it to be less than one third full.

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