Folds Row and the Shovels Inn, Marton, Blackpool c1904. The Shovels Inn, sometimes called 'The Malt Shovel'¹ or 'Two Shovels', was on Common Edge Lane, Marton. It catered for farm workers at Marton Fold and later, as the roads improved, from excursionists and passing trade.

It is thought that the Shovels Inn was built in the early 1800s during this agricultural expansion of the area (see Marton and Layton Hawes).

Landlords.

William Singleton and family, Thomas, Joseph and John were innkeepers, various times between 1811 & 1871. Publicans in the Fylde moved around a lot in the late 19th Century and the Braithwaite family of farmers and brewers were no exception.  A "Thomas Braithwaite" was listed as landlord of the Shovels Inn in the 1860s. Which "Thomas Braithwaite" this was is uncertain as there were several "Thomas Braithwaites" in the area, all related. The Preston Guardian of 11th November, 1876 reported that:

"The Shovels Inn license was transfered from Joseph Melling to Thomas Braithwaite. Joseph Melling took over the license from John Mason at the Bay Horse Inn. On the same day, the license of "a house which has no sign" was transferred from Leonard Waddington to John Hartley."

This Thomas Braithwaite was perhaps the one which had held the licensee of the Halfway House and was father to Ralph, who took over the license of the Shovels six months later (June 1877), and held it until his death in 1906.

Transfer of Licenses, The Preston Guardian, 9th June, 1877. This gives some idea of the constant changes amongst licensed victuallers. There was great expansion as new inns and hotels were being constructed to meet the growing numbers of Blackpool residents, travellers and visitors.

 Ralph Braithwaite 1849-1906 and his wife Hannah (nee Steele) 1848-1902. Ralph was landlord of the Shovels Inn, Marton for nearly 30 years

 Preston Guardian, Saturday, January 5, 1878
POLICE COURT, Monday - Before E.Birley (Chairman), H.Birley and T.Hoyle Esqrs.
ASSAULTING A LANDLORD
Joseph Singleton was summoned but did not appear, for assaulting Ralph Braithwaite, landlord of the Two Shovels, Marton, and a warrant was granted for the defendant's apprehension.

 (Note that the Singleton family had been landlords of the Shovels Inn at various periods between 1811 & 1871).

 Advert for the Shovels Inn, Common Edge Lane, Marton, Blackpool, 1906. In the early 1900s Marton Fold was still considered a rural district and there were horse-drawn, and later, motor-charabanc trips from Blackpool which passed the market gardens of Common Edge Lane and stopped for refreshments at the Shovels.

Shovels Inn, Common Edge Lane, Marton Fold, Blackpool, 1918.

 Newspaper cutting from June 1955. The building had partly subsided and was being shored up. The adjoining Folds Row cottages to the right had already been demolished. The New Shovels was built behind the old building and opened in 1956.

Since then housing has encroached inland, onto Marton Moss and there are plans for hundreds more homes to be built in the near future.