[4] The village was once the holiday retreat for Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, and there is a plaque on the wall outside his country home, The Dhoon, in the main street.

Barton Mills hosts a biannual Scarecrow Festival, held in July.

The main road through the village is closed to traffic (except to residents) during the two-day-long festival, which includes musical bands, food, dancing, car boot sales at the local playing fields and viewing scarecrows created by local residents.

This festival has been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, boasting the most scarecrows ever made at any one time.

[8] Giacomo Savelli, who became Pope Honorius IV in 1285 was rector of Barton Mills church at the time of his election to the papacy, although there is no evidence that he ever visited England.