Heysham is a large coastal village near Lancaster, Lancashire, England, overlooking Morecambe Bay. It is a ferry port, with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland, and the site of two nuclear power stations.DemographyAdministratively, Heysham is part of the City of Lancaster district, with three wards: Heysham Central (with a population of 4,397), increasing to 4,478 at the 2011 Census, Heysham North (5,477), decreasing to 5,274 at the 2011 Census and Heysham South (6,262); increasing to 7,264 at the 2011 Census. Together they have a population of 16,136 (2001 census), or 17,016 (2011 census), although these extend into areas beyond the village of Heysham itself, which has a population of approximately 6,500.HistoryOf 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 carving, the others being located at Tintagel, Cornwall and Hollywood, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
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