Fairhaven URC

The Grade II* listed Fairhaven United Reformed Church (The White Church) is probably the most unusual and iconic church in the Fylde yet many people tell us that they know hardly anything about the church or that they pass by regularly but haven’t ever been inside.

Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

Opening times

Open Thursday and Sunday 2pm to 4pm.
Open during Heritage Open Days.

Address

Clifton Drive
Lytham St Annes
Lancashire
FY8 1AX

So let’s tell you how this church came to be so unusual.

The story of the White Church began at a meeting of the congregation of Lytham Congregational Church in 1899 with a suggestion that there should be a new church in the developing area of Fairhaven on land leased from the Clifton family of Lytham Hall.

The Elders decided that the church should be of ‘distinctive design’ as a change from the many gothic style churches already in the town. Four companies were chosen to submit designs for the church and the successful architects were Briggs, Wolstenholme and Thornley of Blackburn who won with a design that imitated some of the features of Byzantine architecture.

The outside of the church is faced using white Ceramo blocks made by the Middleton Brick and Tile Company of Leeds. They were the winners from the assessment of 13 building tenders received in 1911; the price of all of the blocks was £2,730.

The church windows were designed by Charles Elliot from ideas submitted by Luke Walmsley, a church Elder; they were made by Abbot & Co of Doncaster. They include such great reformers as John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William Tindale, Oliver Cromwell, John Milton, George Fox, John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, John Wesley, David Livingstone and William Carey. Until the church sanctuary was completed in 1912, 16 of the ‘Reformer’ panels were located in the church hall.

The church hall was completed late in1903 and opened on May 4th 1904; it can accommodate 120 people and has two kitchens for food preparation. Fund raising continued and the main church building was completed and opened on October 17th 1912. It is octagonal in shape, designed to seat 486 but now seats 300.

  • Captivating architecture

  • Enchanting atmosphere

  • Famous connections

  • Glorious furnishings

  • Spectacular stained glass

  • Accessible toilets in church

  • Bus stop within 100m

  • Car park at church

  • Church shop or souvenirs

  • Dog friendly

  • Level access throughout

  • Non-accessible toilets in church

  • On street parking at church

  • Parking within 250m

  • Walkers & cyclists welcome

  • Coffee Morning, Thursday 10.30am to 12 noon. Church open to visitors, Thursday and Sunday 1.30pm to 4pm.

  • United Reformed Church

  • Repair Grant, £12,000, 2017

  • Our Repair Grants funded urgent repair work to help keep churches open.

Contact information

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Lytham Methodist Church

Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

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St Paul

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An attractive late Victorian, sandstone church with a beautiful early 18th century churchyard.