10-60, FOX LANE

This is a continuous row of 26 houses with basement workshops, built in or before 1802 by a building society, originally known as "Friendly Society Houses." They follow a slightly concave line along Fox Lane and are commonly known as "step-houses". The houses are constructed of brick with stone dressings and have slate roofs, topped with four-flue ridge chimneys. They are double-pile, single-fronted houses; some at the western end have two-story rear extensions.

Each house has two raised storeys above a basement workshop. The front door is on the right, accessed by a flight of steps at a right angle to the front facade (except for No. 16, which has a ground-level door). There’s one window at ground-floor level and two windows above. All openings have splayed stone heads, and most windows are boxed sashes. No. 16 has a large square shop window with a canopy and pilastered case, likely original. The basement entrances, also accessed by steps, each have a door and two windows, with slight variations in their arrangement. Nos. 18 and 20 retain original stone flagged paving, stone steps, and spear railings with urn finials both at the front and on the steps to the front doors; however, the basements of many have been altered, and the step railings replaced with brick walls. No. 22 has a firemark displayed above the door.

At the rear, there are separate entrances to the basements, and three-stage stairwell windows (with original 20-pane lights at No. 26). Most rear casement windows have been altered. Inside, the houses have an entrance hall, and most lack internal access to the basements; some basements still retain earth floors.

Originally, the basements were likely intended for letting and were used for handloom weaving. The original owner-occupiers were primarily artisans and members of the middle class, including one master manufacturer who later built a cotton mill in Leyland. No. 22 was sold for £167 in 1846. Despite some alterations, this represents an unusually complete and substantial survival of a rare housing type, forming a pleasing architectural composition in relation to the adjacent church tower to the east.