Viking raiders meet early Christians

I sent a postcard from Heysham in Lancashire on Monday (pronounced Heesham, by the way, not Haysham). And I found myself drawn to this spot time and again during our short stay.

A scrub-tangled cliff-side looked across the stony, muddy shoreline of Morecambe Bay and to the mountains beyond. This was the view the Vikings had as they landed and began to make their homes here. This was the view the early English had as, in the eighth century, they built a chapel right here at the edge of the cliff, and dedicated in to Saint Patrick. Yes, THAT Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. Born in Cumbria, he was captured and enslaved in Ireland. After six years, he escaped and fled on a ship bound for France. But the ship blew off course and wrecked on the English coast – here in Heysham . From here he went to France as planned to continue his religious education before returning to Ireland to convert the population there. The reason for the chapel was probably as a place of rest for those pilgrims who visited the rock-cut graves I showed you in my postcard – and now again, here. As the years went by, the chapel was enlarged and the ground around it became a burial place – over 80 bodies have been found.

And what about those rock-cut graves? Despite their human shapes, it’s thought the bones kept there were disarticulated, and may have been those of local saints and important Christians – even perhaps Saint Patrick himself? That’s why they became a place of pilgrimage. Once, they will have been topped off with heavy stone slabs, and those sockets at the head of the graves would each have held a cross

Almost next door is a church. This church, dedicated to Saint Peter also has 8th century origins. I wish we could have gone inside to explore, but we didn’t manage it. Now it’s the parish church, with a graveyard below sweeping down to the sea.

Something about the site ensnared me. Isolated, and with atmospheric light and views, it’s become my choice for Tina’s Lens-Artists Challenge #254 this week: Spiritual Sites.

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Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

50 thoughts on “Viking raiders meet early Christians”

  1. “Isolated, and with atmospheric light and views” – I can see why you became ensnared! In 2006 I went to Provence, and whilst there visited Beaucaire, where we came across St Roman, a cave abbey with very similar tombs.

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  6. A beautiful spot Margaret – one can understand why people may have wanted to permanently rest with such lovely views of the sea. The viking burial area is so unique and the history is so interesting. ! I have no doubt spirits linger in such a place.

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  12. Who wouldn’t be captivated by the history of this place, the sense of mystery and those stunning views! I love the simplicity of the images in that last gallery, and the hollowed out rock graves are fascinating.

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  16. Your history always impresses me, here where I live we can find graves and a few settlements dating back to the early nineteenth century and if you look hard, maybe the late 18th century. The beauty and the landscape of a seaside visit I am sure was refreshing. Thank you, I always learn something new and refreshing.

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    1. Yes, I often think of your part of the world when I post about these distant times. I guess your First Nations’ legacy is one that leaves very few lasting traces.

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  20. Very beautiful in a mournful kind of way, Margaret. Bleak on a winter’s day and there’s always history of drownings and wrecks on that bit of coast. The graves are something special.

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    1. They are. And with the warmth and the sun, the seascape I found soothing, rather than mournful. November would tell a different story.

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      1. I don’t think I ever saw that bit of coast in sunlight, Margaret, but I understand from friends in Lancashire that they’ve been having brilliant weather. Happy to share 🌞💙

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