Kirkham United Reformed Church

Kirkham United Reformed Church

A former Congregational Church, now a United Reformed Church, located on Poulton Street in Kirkham. Built in 1896 to a design by Briggs & Wolstenholme, it combines Gothic Revival and Romanesque styles. The church was extended to the rear in 1995. The main building is constructed in rock-faced sandstone with sandstone dressings beneath a slate roof. The rear extension is built in brick with sandstone dressings.

The south elevation on Poulton Street comprises three bays. The end bays feature matching round-arched doorways, while the central bay contains three round-arched windows to the ground floor. Above these is a large and elaborate window with bar tracery beneath a round arch. The central bay terminates in a gable topped by a ball finial. The left bay houses a tower, buttressed at its lower half, with a long narrow window above the door and a belfry above. A tall steeple rises from the tower, with both the upper tower and steeple executed in ashlar.

The west elevation contains the tower at the right end, a buttressed nave with three tall and narrow round-headed windows, and a transept with a large window featuring bar tracery flanked by narrow round-headed windows. A short two-storey bay at the left end has a door to the ground floor and a cambered-arched window to the upper floor. A modern brick-built extension is attached to the left end of this elevation.

The north elevation has a gable chimney stack but is largely obscured by a large modern single-storey attached extension with a basement. This extension is not included in the designation as it is not of special interest.

The east elevation features a transept and nave matching those on the west elevation. An octagonal staircase tower projects to eaves height at the south end.

Internally, the entrance opens into a vestibule with leaded and stained glass windows. Glass and timber doors provide access to the nave. At the north end, the original wooden organ case is housed within an arched alcove. A projected stepped wooden platform in front contains two short staircases leading to a broad pulpit extending before the organ. A simple altar and reading desk stand on the platform. Wooden doors with stained glass on either side of the alcove give access to the organ, with brass plaques affixed to the wall beside them. The nave and transepts are lined with timber wall panelling to window sill height and feature leaded windows with stained glass decoration around their edges. A timber-fronted balcony above the vestibule is accessed by a simple yet well-designed timber staircase. Behind the balcony is a broad round-headed arch housing the south elevation's leaded and stained glass window. A doorway to the right of the arch leads into the tower and steeple. The nave roof is formed by arched trusses incorporating arcaded framing. Seating comprises three sets of curved benches with raised bench ends separated by aisles.