town curfew between September and March. Two more bells were added in 1937, cast by Mears and Stainbank. Churchyard To the south of the church there are the remnants of a stone preaching cross. The cross was originally situated on Poulton's boundary and marked a resting place for mourners travelling long distances to bury corpses at St Chad's. Only the two circular steps into which the original structure was set remain; the cross shaft has been replaced by an octagonal pillar. The pillar was used as a sundial until the early 20th century when the gnomon was stolen. The steps function as a memorial for present-day mourners at St Chad's, in a small garden of remembrance. The churchyard is noted locally for its display of crocuses and other flowering bulbs in early springtime. Although the churchyard has been closed to burials since 1884, the ashes of cremated bodies have been interred in a small area to the west of the church since the 1950s. The paths in the churchyard incorporate gravestones that were set horizontally in 1973. There are few gravestones still standing, but there are several table tombs. To the south-east of the church there is a gravestone marking the grave of Edward Sherdley (d. 1741); the stone features carvings of a skull and crossbones and an hourglass, and is known locally as the "pirate's grave". Present day and assessment St Chad's was designated a Grade II* listed building on 23 September 1950. An active church in the Church of England, St Chad's is part of the diocese of Blackburn, which is in the Province of York. It is in the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the Deanery of Poulton; the benefice includes Poulton, Carleton and Singleton. The Rev. Martin Keighley was appointed vicar of St Chad's in 2000. The ecclesiastical parish of Poulton-le-Fylde St Chad includes the Church of St Hilda of Whitby in Carleton. See also Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire Listed buildings in Poulton-le-Fylde Market Place List of works by J. S. Crowther List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin References Footnotes The advowson, or the right of patronage, is the right to choose and appoint a church's parish priest. From the 12th century in England, this right was considered a valuable piece of secular property that could be bought, sold or granted. The advowson was often, though not always, attached to the manor or