Everything about Kirkham Lancashire totally explained
Kirkham, or as it once was known,
Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a
town in the
Fylde district of
Lancashire,
England, midway between
Blackpool and
Preston (11 miles west of Preston). It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location of a
Roman fort.
The town is pre-Roman in its origin with a name originating from the
Danish word
kirk (church) and
-ham (
Saxon for settlement).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 has one of the oldest charters in the
United Kingdom, having been granted in 1269–70 by King
Henry III. The
Church of England parish church is
St Michael's. There is also a
Roman Catholic church - St John The Evangelist, but known locally as "The Willows" - located on Ribby Road
(External Link
) and a
United Reformed Church located on Poulton Street
(External Link).
Kirkham lies in 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.
Kirkham station was opened in 1844, four years after the
Preston and Wyre Railway and Harbour Company had opened its line to
Fleetwood. It now also serves the adjacent town of
Wesham. South of the town is
Kirkham open prison, built on part of the site of the
Royal Air Force base which closed in 1957.
The two secondary schools are Carr Hill and
Kirkham Grammar. Kirkham Grammar is an
Independent School and is known for emphasising the importance of sporting achievement. Carr Hill, however, despite being state-run, has achieved better examination results for nearly a decade. Kirkham Grammar Junior School has a well developed pastoral care system.
Kirkham has had it's own small library since 1939.
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.
Regular bus services ae provided by the
Ribble branch of
Stagecoach Buses.
Kirkham Swimming Baths was erected in
1914 at the bequest of William Segar Hodgson J.P. It has served Kirkham as a public swimming pool for over 90 years. Now operated by
Fylde Borough Council it's open seven days a week. Swimming galas, children fun swims and adult only swims are 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
Football Club
The town's football team
Kirkham & Wesham FC play in the
North West Counties League, after being promoted from the
West Lancashire League in 2007. Following their defeat of
Lowestoft Town at the
Wembley Stadium final on May 11th 2008, the team are the current holders of the
FA Vase.
Twin Towns
Kirkham is twinned with both
Ancenis in
Loire-Atlantique,
France and
Bad Brückenau a
spa town in
Bad Kissingen district, northern
Bavaria which is situated in the
Rhön Mountains in
Germany.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Kirkham Lancashire'.
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