Heysham - History

History

Of historical interest are the stone 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 hewn from solid rock. Local legend has it that St. 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 Saxon and Viking remains, and the church itself contains a Viking hogback stone. The purpose of these strange stone sculptures is the subject of much debate; they are found mainly in the north of England, and also in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and a few areas of southern England with Viking links. Heysham also contains one of only three sites in Britain and Ireland that contain a pre-roman labyrinth, the others being located at Tintagel, Cornwall and Hollywood, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Lancaster Museum holds artefacts from the area such as stone axe and hammer heads (some weighing up to 4 kilograms (9 lb)) dating back to the New Stone Age. Many of these artefacts and their original location suggest that this was an ancient burial ground, or barrow; 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 rock pools.