St John the Evangelist's Church, Kirkham

In 1809 the first Roman Catholic chapel was built in Kirkham. It was dedicated to the Holy Cross, and was known as "The Willows" because it was in an area surrounded by willow trees. This name is still associated with the present church. The chapel was replaced by the present church, which was built between 1842 and 1845 and was designed by A. W. N. Pugin. Said to have cost £10,000 (), The floor was lowered by about 2 ft and the steps at the west entrance were removed. At the same time Pugin's altar was moved to a side chapel and the rood screen was relocated to the west end of the church and altered to fit. In 1906 Gillow installed a new main altar, a pulpit, benches, and Stations of the…

The church is built in sandstone from Longridge, and has slate roofs. It is in early Decorated style. It has a five-bay nave with a clerestory and aisles, a south porch, a chancel also with aisles, and a sanctuary without aisles. To the northeast is a vestry block, and at the west end a steeple. The tower has angle buttresses and a stair tower at the southeast corner. There is a moulded west doorway, above which is a two-light window, and a small window to the ringers' chamber. The bell openings have two openings, and above them is a continuous hood mould around the whole tower. On the tower is a broach spire with three tiers of lucarnes and a coronet of blind lucarnes. The spire rises to…