St. Patrick's Chapel
Above the Heysham Parish church of St Peter is a rock, sheer on three sides, and on it stand the ruins traditionally known as 'St Patrick's Chapel'. Near the chapel there are cuttings in the rock for human remains, known as the 'rock hewn graves'. The ruins and their setting are impressive and atmospheric, and leave visitors to the site longing to know who built? when? and for what purpose?
The following is an historical interpretation by J.C. Procter M.A., F.C.I.B.S.E.
Myths
There are several myths surrounding the site, of which this is a compilation:
Once upon a time, Patrick was an Irishman who converted the people of Ireland and founded churches and monasteries. For this he was canonized St. Patrick, and the irish adopted him as their patron saint.
St. Patrick then set out to convert North West England. His boat landed on a sand-bank at Heysham. He came ashore and built a church, the present St. Patrick's Chapel.
On his death St. Patrick was buried in the first of the rock-hewn graves followed by his principal successors. Later generations built the church, with graveyard: and gradually the chapel fell into disuse.
The main problem with the myths is that Patrick died about 490 AD, and the chapel appears to date from about 750. Nevertheless, myths are often a clue to some underlying events. We certainly have to explain why there are so many connections with Patrick in North Lancashire and Cumbria (e.g. Patterdale = St. Patrick's Dale).
Evidence from Archaeology
The most recent and thorough investigation is that of T W Potter and R D Andrews between 1977 and 1978.
In its present state, the chapel consists of the South wall with arched doorway and the East gabled end wall. There are foundations of other walls. Some repair work was done in 1903. The investigation showed two phases:
Phase 1. Plastered inside and out, and painted inside. Remains of word MULIER (wife). Anglo-Saxon links. About 750 AD.
Phase 2. An extension to the East. The plaster of phase 1 was removed. About 950.
Rock Hewn Graves
These are human-shaped but short, and run approximately East-West. The Eastern two graves were probably earliest. There are seven in the Western group. All (except one of the Western seven) have a socket for a cross. The crosses, covering slabs and bones were removed long ago.
Burial Areas
There are five burial areas near the chapel, with remains of walls around the areas. Some of the burials had to be in stone-built graves. About 85 sets of bones were found, of both sexes, and of all ages. Most had died by age 45 (normal for this period). The bones date from about 1000-1200.
Interpretation of the Evidence
We can now put together the archaeological evidence and the historical evidence, in order to make a reasonable interpretation of what may have happened between 400-1100 AD at the site of St. Patrick's Chapel, Heysham
This interpretation falls into four stages.
Stage 1: Celtic
It is supposed that missionaries of the Patrick tradition had arrived by 600 AD at Heysham, probably from the Isle of Man. They converted the landowner and set up a cross. From Heysham they moved through North Lancashire and the Lake District leaving behind the name and stories of Patrick.
On the death of the principal missionary, his bones were deposited in one of the two Eastern 'rock-hewn graves'. These graves should be called 'ossuaries', and this explains their short length. The early Church associated bones with resurrection, but flesh with decay.
The Western ossuaries later were made for missionaries and landowners. One of the landowners had not been converted, and had no cross. It is also likely that the site became a place of pilgrimage associated with Patrick.
Stage 2: Anglo
The Angles were probably settled in Heysham by 650. It is supposed that about 750 a converted Angle landowner decided that his body would go to the same site but be in a building. Phase 1 of the chapel was built, plastered and painted. There was a Latin dedication to the landowner and his wife. Prayers would be arranged. The chapel should in fact be called an 'Oratory'.
Phase I of the stone-built church (St. Peter's) was probably started aboUt 800, and was surrounded by a graveyard for people of middle rank.
A chief at Heysham may have had the rank of thegn. Before there were local churches, it was normal for a landowner to permit converts to meet at a 'preaching cross'. A cross was already there.
There may have been some commoners, possibly craftsmen, but many of the population would serve on the estates as slaves or freedmen. The landowners alone may have had a manor on Heysham Head. The others would have lived in huts on the estates or (the fishermen) in huts on the lane leading down to the foreshore.
Stage 3: Celto-Norse
By 950 the Celto-Norse people from the Isle of Man and Ireland had settled into Heysham village, relatively peacefully, and were becoming converts. The hogback stone was placed over a Celto-Norse grave.
The Celto-Norse, with their Irish connections, may have revived interest in the legends of Patrick, and also pilgrimages to the Oratory site.
It is supposed that there was an increasing demand for important lay people to be buried near the Oratory, and to be remembered in it. This led to an extension of the Oratory (Phase 2), about 950. The land alongside was divided into successive small graveyards, with enclosing walls, for leading families, Angle and Celto-Norse.
Stage 4 : Norman
After the Norman Conquest 1066, the importance of the Oratory as a burial place probably faded, and the graveyard around the church became more important. The process was accelerated by the changes in ownership of the land. Eventually, memories faded into myths, and the old stones became used as a quarry.
Despite the connection with Patrick, 400-1100, Heysham was a relatively poor place. It seems that it continued to be obscure. For centuries the marshes were more extensive than at present. But the obscurity helped to preserve what still remains to remind us of the past, and to inspire us to speculate about it.