Heysham

Heysham is a large coastal village overlooking Morecambe Bay, near Lancaster in the county of Lancashire, England. This quaint and picturesque is a very popular place to visit, having won Britain in Bloom Gold Small Village awards in both 2005 and 2007. Heysham is the main ferryport to the Isle of Man and is rich in fascinating sites of historical interest. It is said that Patrick settled here after arriving from Ireland and established Saint Patrick's Chapel. The chapel features ancient stone graves in its ruins, which date from the 11th century, and are hewn from solid rock. These stone graves appear on the cover of the Black Sabbath CD, 'The Best of Black Sabbath'.

Nearby Saint Peter's Church is also of important historical interest — the grounds of which contain many Saxon and Viking remains, including a Viking hogback stone. Lancaster Museum holds artefacts from the area such as stone axe and hammer heads dating back to the New Stone Age. It is thought that Heysham was an ancient burial ground, or barrow of the Vikings and the area is still known colloquially as "The Barrows". The Barrows are the only sea-cliffs in Lancashire. The landscape of The Barrows is very varied for such a small area and offers woodlands, open grassland, sandy beaches, and deep rock pools, although it is important to note that extreme caution should be taken while using the beaches of Morecambe Bay. Tide timetables can be obtained at Bay Horse Lancaster weather site.