Kirkham aka Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location of a Roman fort. At the census of 2011, it had a population 3,304 (Kirkham South) plus 3,890 (Kirkham North), giving a total of 7,194.[1][2] By the census of 2021 the total had risen to 3,217 (Kirkham South) plus 4,666 (Kirkham North), giving a total of 7,883.[3][4]
In his 1878 History of the Fylde of Lancashire, John Porter described Kirkham as ".. probably the earliest inhabited locality in the Fylde district."[5] Remains found at Carleton in the 1970s of an elk with two harpoons embedded suggest that the Fylde was inhabited as long ago as 8,000 BC.[6]
The town is pre-Roman in its origin with a name originating from the Danishkirk (church) and -ham (Saxon for settlement, or "home"). The town owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location of a Roman fort.[7] It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name of Chicheham and is described as lying on the Roman road between Ribchester (Bremetennacum) and the River Wyre. The town's market charter was granted in 1269–70 by King Henry III.[8]
In the 15th and 16th centuries Kirkham remained a small market town. But from the late 17th century the town grew into a thriving textile centre. From 1830 sailcloth was being woven in cottages in the town and later at the Flax Mill, built in 1861 by John Birley.[9]Kirkham Grammar School was founded in 1549 but the original building no longer exists.[10]
In 1792 a Roman brass shield boss was discovered by local schoolmaster John Willacy, in the Dow Brook, in Mill Hill Field. Willacy sold the shield to a Scotsman, but it found its way to the Charles Townley collection in Burnley and from there to the British Museum. The oval shield, about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, bore the representation of a human figure, seated, with an eagle to the left and an athlete at the side.[5][6]
Horse racing took place at Carr Hill in Kirkham in March 1852 and again in March 1853. Point-to-point races were still being staged at Thornley-with-Wheatley, near Preston, by the Kirkham Hunt in the 20th century, including a meeting on Friday 6 April 1900. Races at Carr Hill continued up to the start of World War II, but it is uncertain whether they began again after the War had ended.[11]
Looms ran in the town from about 1850 until 2003. At one time the town had eleven mills, the last to be built being Progress Mill in 1915. On the lower part of Station Road "The Last Loom" of Kirkham is on permanent public display. This loom, a cross-rod type from the 1920s, with the use of tappets at the side, could produce an extensive range of fabrics including velvets, twills and Bedford cord.[citation needed]
In 1925, Church Street became the subject of a pencil on paper drawing by Pendlebury artist L. S. Lowry[13] In his later "A Lancashire Village, 1935" he painted the scene again, but with a wider street full of people and a house in front of the church.[14]
Due to an expansion of secondary education after the Second World War, in 1957 Carr Hill Secondary Modern School (now Carr Hill 11-18 High School and Sixth Form Centre), was built on the site of Carr Hill House and a former racecourse. It was officially opened in 1958 by the Duchess of Kent. Several housing developments have been built on the edge of the town in the last half of the 20th century.
In 2022 Fylde Borough Council purchased Grade II listed "Hillside" on Preston Street and the former Lloyds Bank on Poulton Street, as part of the town's £10m regeneration plan, Kirkham Futures. "Hillside" was a former restaurant and popular wedding venue, but both buildings had been empty for some years. The former bank, which was originally a Charity Girls School dating back to 1860, was hoped to be converted into a community cinema, but it was later decided to convert it to a hospitality venue.[23][24]
Kirkham Futures is a four-year plan, led by Fylde Council's regeneration team, in partnership with Lancashire County Council and Kirkham Town Council, which will use a £6.3m grant from the Government's Future High Streets Fund (FHSF).[25]
In January 2023, the town's Market Square closed for up to 52 weeks for town centre improvements to be carried out.[26][27] The Phase 1 Public Realm works for Kirkham will replace existing public realm and infrastructure, such as street furniture, in the area of Market Square and Poulton Street. Included in the contract is a five-year maintenance and repair commitment by the contractor, after which such upkeep would be included in existing revenue budgets. A lighting scheme to be implemented in Market Square will be maintained and repaired within the existing revenue budget provision. The contract was awarded to Eric Wright Civil Engineering Ltd following a successful procurement exercise.[28]
In 2023 and 2024 a cooperative partnership funded a programme of events inspired by the former Roman presence in Kirkham and Wesham, allowing the community to participate in art and archaeology projects. Activities included a community archaeology project, a high street mural and a heritage-inspired art and lantern festival.[29]
The improvement of the Market Square, following the £9.5M town centre regeneration plan, was completed in August 2024 and a ban on parking was introduced by Lancashire County Council. All on-street and off-street parking in the town is free and the council noted there were "ample" alternatives to the square, including the car parks at Eagles Court and Mill Street. The ban excluded vehicles needing access for the market and events.[30]
Education
Kirkham has two secondary schools: Carr Hill High School a mixed comprehensive school, and Kirkham Grammar School, an independent school. Feeding into these two schools are the primary schools of Kirkham: Kirkham and Wesham Primary School, Kirkham Grammar Junior School, St John the Evangelist (also known as "The Willows") Catholic Primary School and Kirkham St Michael's C of E Primary School. Additionally, Pear Tree School offers special education for children and young people, aged 2-19, with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties.[31]
The United Reformed Church on Poulton Street is a Grade II listed building and is an early example of the work of the architectural practice of Briggs & Wolstenholme. It has a "massing and prominent spire rising from a tall tower" and was built in 1896. In 1995 a large single-storey rear extension, including a basement, was built to accommodate a youth centre, meeting rooms, kitchen and toilets. In about 2000 the vestibule was extended forward to the same level as the balcony above.[33][34]
Zion (Independent) Chapel was founded in 1818. Although the church has long since been demolished, the graveyard remains. Now associated with Kirkham United Reformed Church, but adjacent to the Manse Nursing Home in the centre of the town, this unusual isolated burial-ground is still well maintained.[citation needed]
Location and amenities
Kirkham lies at the centre of a relatively rich agricultural area. By the mid 18th century, however, the manufacture of sail cloth and the flax-weaving industry had become well established in the town. By 1876 there were several factories employing almost 1,000 workers in the cotton and other industries and by the end of the century the town had grown considerably in importance.[citation needed]
Kirkham Club Day, an annual gala, is held in early June, jointly with Wesham. The day involves the various churches and their chosen "Rose Queens", together with biblical tableau floats, civic dignitaries and brass bands, walking in procession through the town in the morning.[40]
The town's War Memorial is located in a small memorial garden on Barnfield.[41]
The St George Hotel was situated at the bottom on Station Road, at Town End, but closed in 2011 and was demolished in 2012 to make way for a block of flats.[42][43]
The town is served by its own free newspaper, the Kirkham and Wesham Advertiser. Both the Blackpool Gazette and the Lancashire Evening Post cover Kirkham news, as does the weekly Kirkham and Fylde Express.[46]
Sport
Floral display sculpture, Poulton Street
Kirkham Swimming Baths was erected in 1908 by the bequest of William Segar Hodgson J.P. and has served Kirkham as a public swimming pool for over a century. Open seven days a week, galas, free children swims and adult-only swims were regularly held. In February 2008 a campaign was initiated to save the baths from closure. This included a public march through Kirkham and Wesham on 1 March attended by some 3,000 local supporters[47] A local action group was subsequently formed to organise the longer term survival of the baths, and was successful in presenting a business plan to Fylde Borough Council. The baths, were run by the YMCA, having been re-branded as "Rural Splash",[48] but closed permanently after suffering significant structural damage caused by Storm Arwen in December 2021.[49][50] In December 2024 it was announced that CIC Wave Reach had withdrawn from its role in acquiring and operating Kirkham Pool.[51]
The town's football club is AFC Fylde. The club was known as Kirkham and Wesham F.C until the end of the 2007–08 season, and was formed by the amalgamation of Kirkham Town F.C. and Wesham F.C. The change of name to AFC Fylde was made to try to encourage a broader fan-base from across the Fylde coast.
AFC Fylde is currently based north of Wesham on the Mill Farm complex and plays in the National League. The team won the FA Vase in the 2007–08 season, beating Lowestoft Town in the final at Wembley Stadium on 11 May 2008. They were also promoted to the North West Counties Football League Premier Division after finishing second in Division Two. In 2008–09 they were North West Counties Football League champions and so won promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One North.
Kirkham currently has 20 listed buildings, one of them being Grade II* and the rest being Grade II. Many of the buildings in the town centre date from the Georgian and Victorian eras.
^ abPorter, J. MRCS, LSA (1878) History of the Fylde of Lancashire, Fleetwood and Blackpool, W. Porter and Sons Publisher, Chapter XII – The Parish of Kirkham.
^ abSingleton, F. J. (1980), Kirkham – A Short History, Kirkham & District Local History Society.
^"Archived version". Archived from the original on 9 December 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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