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,...

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…