Heysham Village
Heysham was a quiet farming and fishing community until 1904 when Heysham Port opened. The port offered ferry services to Ireland and the Isle of Man, and the influx of travellers transformed the ancient village overnight. The village still has a historic old centre - a delightful maze of winding lanes and picturesque cottages.
The village has a fascinating history, dating back to Viking times. Discover an 8th century chapel - St Patrick's - and iconic rock hewn graves on the dramatic headlands overlooking the Bay. Managed by the National Trust, this is a truly wonderful urban green space to uncover.
The ruins of the chapel feature a Viking era doorway with a rounded arch, and a stone with a socket for an outdoor preaching cross. Next to the ruined chapel you can see some of the finest relics of early Christianity to be found in the north west of England. Six rock cut graves, dating from the 10th Century cut into a huge slab of stone. At the head of five of these graves is another smaller hole, thought to be a socket where wooden crosses were placed to mark the graves.
The beautiful St Peter's Church stands close by, its churchyard commanding one of the best views in the country. Next door is the small, peaceful Glebe Garden, an oasis of calm and reflection.
Nearby is Half Moon Bay with its striking sculpture 'Ship' by Anna Gillespie. SHIP was commissioned by the Morecambe Bay Partnership as part of their Headlands to Headspace project. Just past the sculpture is a sandy stretch of beach popular with families with a car park and Half Moon Bay café.
From Half Moon Bay you can see the ferries travelling to the Isle of Man, and Heysham's two nuclear power stations - an important source of employment in the local region. In the old centre of the village is Heysham Heritage Centre. Housed in part of what was originally a long house it is an unusual example of surviving 17th Century village architecture and tells the story of the village's architecture and past industry in a series of exhibitions.
Food and Drink
The Mad Hatter's tearoom is a tiny café with outdoor seating at the end of the promenade walk from Morecambe. Near the heritage centre there are two cafés: Curiosity Corner - a quirky retro café serving a wide range of interesting cakes and lunches (try the homemade scones or one of their special panini) and The Old Barn, known for its traditional home made fudge.
On the same road is The Royal, a sixteenth century coaching inn that offers an extensive menu in its popular restaurant (booking advised), real ales in the covered and heated garden bar, and 11 guest rooms. Food served 12-9pm daily.
Practical Information
Important - there are currently no public toilets in the village - the nearest public toilets are at by the Battery Car Park in Morecambe. Toilets in cafes and The Royal Inn are for patrons only.
Parking
There is a public carpark in the centre of Heysham village on Barrows lane (pay and display) and a free carpark at Half moon Bay café (this can get very busy at weekends). There is a large, reasonably priced carpark in the centre of the village, so it's easy to leave the car and explore on foot.
