Go-karts are gone but nature is back

HEYSHAM is one of the most unspoiled villages in Britain. Its single street is lined with restaurants, cafes, 17th century cottages and a pub.

The street leads down the rocks of the shore and a steep left sweep takes you to ancient Christian sites.

These lead up to Heysham Head, once the site of pleasure gardens and a carting circuit. Both of these have now gone.

The head is now preserved as a Nature Area by the National Trust.

From the car park the first stop is always at the Curiosity Corner cafe, featuring home-made snacks and the local ice cream made by Bruciani. Here you can drink or buy bottles of nettle beer, the Heysham speciality. This goes down well with a helping of Morecambe Bay Shrimps.

Nettle beer is described as a tonic made from herbal extracts, sugar, yeast, lemons and of course nettles. It is said to stimulate the blood, help those who suffer from rheumatism and also to be an unconfirmed hair restorer.

The Heritage Centre is a place to find out about the history and natural history of Heysham and is staffed by local volunteers (Tel: 01254 859517). It is open free of charge but books, local preserves and memorabilia are on sale. The centre was formerly the barn for the adjoining 17th century farm house.

The Royal hotel dates to the 16th century and formerly functioned as a corn store. To the left of the pub, is a cottage which was famous in the early 1900s because of the nettle beer brewed by Granny Hutchinson.

St Patrick's Well, set in an alcove and reached via a set of steps to the left of the street, is often overlooked. This was also called the church well and is usually quite salty. Because of this it was regarded as a cure and pilgrims travelled long distances to drink it. Modern visitors are not advised to do so and should stick to nettle beer.

St Peter's Church is one of the most attractive and ancient religious buildings in Lancashire. Heysham dates back to Saxon times and this church and St Patrick's Chapel were both established before the eighth century.

There is a remnant of an Anglo-Saxon cross in the churchyard and inside the church, near the south door, is a hog-back stone. Until 1961 this was in the churchyard but it was brought indoors to prevent erosion. It is Viking in origin and dates to the 10th century. It is not unique but is the best example to be found anywhere in Britain. There are pagan symbols on one side and Christian signs on the other. Could this have marked the resting place of a converted pagan who felt like hedging his bets?

The view from the churchyard over Morecambe and its bay is wonderful and the panorama gets even better as a set of stone steps and a steep path lead on to Heysham Head. St Patrick's Chapel was probably built in the late eighth century and extended in the 10th century.

By the side of the chapel are a set of graves cut out of the solid rock.

It is thought that the church and the chapel were part of a religious settlement.

The church was the focal point for worship and the chapel functioned as a cemetery.

When the pleasure grounds closed in the 1960s it looked as if Heysham Head would become a housing estate.

However, the National Trust bought the site and is now a treasure house for nature.

A series of footpaths lead through bluebells, bugloss and other seaside flowers and birdwatchers flock to the cliff edges to watch migration and movements during the ebb and flow of the tide.

Vicarage Wood is now part of a footpath leading through an old orchard and down very steep stone steps back to the car park.

The church register of 1753 lists plums, pears and apples being grown in large numbers. There are still lots of succulent nettles in evidence. These were, and still are, used as a crop.

Although bluebells grow on the headland, the glorious blooms become dominant during May and early June.

If you fancy a day out tomorrow, go to Heysham. There is a 1940s Day to bring back memories of the war, rationing and how we lived. If parking becomes difficult, there is a park and ride system from nearby Half Moon Bay.

How to get there: The village is around three miles (5kms) south west of Morecambe. Access by road is via A638 from Lancaster and following the brown signs. There is a large pay and display car park at the entrance to the village. There is a regular rail service to Morecambe from Lancaster. There is a half-hour bus service to the village.