Between Blackpool and Preston is a historic market town

Its market charter dates back to around 1269, while Roman, medieval and textile heritage can still be found throughout the town.

Today, independent shops, cafés and restaurants sit alongside historic landmarks, making Kirkham an appealing alternative to the bustle of the Fylde coast.

The much loved Kirkham mural (Image: Kirkham Council)

Kirkham has long been prized for its understated, working market-town character, offering a quieter alternative to the seaside attractions of nearby Blackpool.

The town’s heritage runs from Roman origins through centuries as an important centre for sailcloth production and cotton weaving, alongside independent shops, a historic parish church and an unusual open prison occupying part of a former wartime airfield site.

Exploring Kirkham’s shops and restaurants

Visitors can stroll along Poulton Street, the town’s principal shopping thoroughfare, where independent traders such as Serendipity House, a gift, clothing and accessories shop, and the long-established Kirkham Ironmongers sit alongside newer arrivals.

One local trader described Kirkham as a market town with deep-rooted history, stretching back to the Domesday Book, while highlighting the continued importance of the high street to local residents.

For those looking for something sweet, Book, Bean & Ice Cream on Poulton

Street combines an independent bookshop with a coffee shop and ice-cream counter.

The business is also known for its award-winning cakes and brownies, attracting both local customers and visitors.

For those who have worked up an appetite exploring, the town has a solid range of eateries, from cosy bistros to traditional pubs.

According to Tripadvisor, Scott’s Bistro is among the highest-rated restaurants in town, with reviewers praising its British and healthy-focused menu, while Elvin’s Kirkham has also drawn strong reviews from diners.

Book Bean & Ice Cream (Image: Google)

A cotton town with Roman roots

Kirkham’s history stretches back far further than its Victorian textile boom.

The town appears in the Domesday Book as “Chicheham” and developed around the site of a former Roman fort at Carr Hill.

It grew near the route of the Roman road linking Ribchester with the Wyre area.

Its market charter was granted by King Henry III in 1269–70, and the town remained a modest market centre before developing into an important textile-producing centre from the 18th century onwards.

Sailcloth was woven in cottages across Kirkham from the 18th and 19th centuries, before production became increasingly associated with larger mills.

The Kirkham Flax Mill has roots stretching back to the 18th century, with a major mill building constructed in the 19th century.

The town subsequently became an important centre for cotton weaving, with several mills operating in and around Kirkham.

Although the last commercial loom fell silent in 2003, the legacy of families such as the Birleys, Langtons, Hornbys and Shepherds remains woven into the town’s identity.

At the heart of the town stands St Michael’s Church, Kirkham, a Grade II*-listed active Anglican parish church within the Diocese of Blackburn.

A church has stood on the site since at least the seventh century, although the present building dates mainly from the 19th century.

Nearby, Kirkham Prison, a men’s open prison, occupies part of the site of the former RAF Kirkham.

The airfield was used during the Second World War to train British and Allied servicemen and women, with around 72,000 people trained there before the end of the war.

Part of the site was subsequently converted into a prison, which opened in 1962.

At the 2021 Census, the former Kirkham North and Kirkham South wards had a combined population of 7,883, up from 7,194 in 2011, reflecting population growth around the historic town centre and surrounding area.

With a Roman past, a centuries-old market charter, a distinctive sailcloth and cotton-weaving heritage and a range of independent shops and restaurants, Kirkham offers far more than many visitors to the Fylde coast may expect.