Heysham ( ) is a coastal village in the Lancaster district of Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a Heysham Port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two nuclear power stations.
History
Of historical interest are the stone-hewn graves in the ruins of the ancient St. Patrick's Chapel, close to St Peter's Church. They are thought to date from the 11th century, and are carved from solid rock. Local legend has it that
Saint Patrick landed here after crossing from Ireland and established the chapel. However it has been established that the chapel was built around 300 years after Patrick's death. These stone graves appear on the cover of the
Black Sabbath CD,
The Best of Black Sabbath.
The grounds of St Peter's Church contain many Anglo-Saxons and Viking remains, and the church itself contains a Viking Heysham hogback. The purpose of these strange stone sculptures is the subject of much debate; they are found mainly in Northern England and also in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and a few areas of Southern England with Viking links. Four figures on the hogback have been interpreted by scholars as the four dwarfs who hold up the sky in Nordic mythology, Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri, although this is debated.
Lancaster Museum holds artefacts from the area such as stone axe and hammer heads, some weighing up to , dating back to the New Stone Age. Many of these artefacts and their original location suggest that this was an ancient burial ground, or Tumulus; the area is still known locally as " The Barrows". The Barrows are the only sea-cliffs in Lancashire and contain, in a relatively small area, woodland, open grassland, sandy beaches and deep .
The artist J. M. W. Turner visited Heysham in the 1790s when travelling throughout Britain. On a visit in August 1816,[ In Turner's Footsteps, through the hills and dales of Northern England: David Hill : John Murray 1984] he made sketches which formed the basis of his subsequent watercolour Heysham and Cumberland Mountains (British Museum); it depicts the village with the Lakeland backdrop across Morecambe Bay.
Heysham Heritage Centre is housed in the barn of a Longhouse in Main Street. The building is owned by the Heritage Trust for the North West, who also own the cottage part of the longhouse, 22 Main Street. The Heritage Centre is run by volunteers, most of whom belong to Heysham Heritage Association.
Demography and governance
Administratively, Heysham is part of the City of Lancaster district and has three wards: Heysham Central (with a population of 4,397 in 2001,
increasing to 4,478 at the 2011 Census),
Heysham North (5,477 in 2001,
decreasing to 5,274 at the 2011 Census)
and Heysham South (6,262 in 2001,
increasing to 7,264 at the 2011 Census).
Together they had a population of 16,136 (2001 census), and 17,016 (2011 census). These include areas beyond the village of Heysham itself, which has a population of about 6,500.
Heysham North ward is within the area covered by Morecambe Town Council.
From 1899 to 1928, Heysham was administered by Heysham Urban District Council,
Community
Heysham is the terminus of the Stanlow–Heysham oil
pipeline at the site of the former
Heysham Refinery, and of a gas pipeline that originates in the Morecambe gas fields in the
Irish Sea.
Industry and transport
Heysham Port started operation in 1904. There is a ferry service to the Isle of Man, as well as freight to Ireland and services for the eastern
Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay
. A
SeaCat service to
Belfast started in 1999. Some ferries connect with trains from Heysham Port railway station to Lancaster via the Morecambe Branch Line.
Heysham Refinery was located between Heysham and Middleton and operated from 1941 to 1976.
The Bay Gateway dual carriageway opened in October 2016, connecting Heysham directly to the M6 motorway.
Nature and wildlife
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust manages a nature reserve near to the nuclear power stations.
Whitethroats breed on the scrubland. Nearby, on the sea shore is a patch of rock known as Red Nab where
and
roost and congregate. Two warm water outfalls from the power stations enrich the food supply for migratory seabirds such as
and Mediterranean gulls. Winter visitors include
and
.
Notable people
-
Gertrude Partington Albright (1874–1959), an American artist of portrait etchings and Cubism-influenced California landscapes. She taught at the California School of Fine Arts for nearly thirty years.
-
Lizzi Collinge (born c. 1980), politician, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale since 2024.
Sport
-
Mark Edmondson (born 1979), former rugby league footballer who played 119 games for St Helens R.F.C.
-
David Perkins (born 1982), footballer who played 710 games, including 178 for Morecambe
Gallery
File:Anglo-Saxon_Stone,_Heysham.jpg|Anglo-Saxon carved stone cross base
File:St_Patrick's_Chapel,_Heysham.jpg|St Patrick's Chapel
File:Heysham Harbour, from entrance.jpg|Heysham Harbour
File:Heysham NPP cropped.jpg|Heysham nuclear power station
File:Heysham Nature Reserve.jpg|Sunset across 'The Barrows' on Heysham Nature Reserve
File:HeyshamHogbackFaces.jpg|Faces of the hogback stone
See also
-
Listed buildings in Heysham
External links
