GLW2009 : Old Heysham and The Boat

Saturday 1st August 2020

"Have you heard about the big new sculpture at Heysham with the two men, each sat on the end of a boat, looking in opposite directions?" we were asked.

No, we hadn't so that was the objective for the afternoon, coupled with a short walk along the sea front.

We had an interesting tour of the ferry terminal and other commercial units before finding the right road to Half Moon Bay.  There were quite a few cars parked and people buying ice creams from the cafe.  Most folk, however, seemed to be on the sands.  The tide was out and several were a long way from shore.  

We would be less adventurous but first we had a close look at the sculpture, which was just along the (very low) headland, on the grass.  As it was a boat, I had expected it to be on the shoreline.  Sorry, I should have called it a SHIP as that is the name given to it by the sculptress, Anna Gillespie.

It's quite a size though another unexpected aspect was, well, its aspects!  I had heard that one man faced out to sea whilst the other looked back to the shore.  In fact both looked along the shoreline, one with a good view across the grassy towards Old Heysham with the Kent estuary behind.  The other to the nuclear power station!  Which end would you choose?

As we headed for the beach, an unusual bird flew over.  It looked like a very thin gull with coloured legs trailing behind.  Due to the position of the sun, I could only get a picture of it as it flew away but Mike T confidently informs me that it was a Little Egret.

Although not as adventurous as many, we wandered along the damp sand quite some distance away from Terra Firma.  In fact in several places we had to jump or wade but it was enjoyable.  We could see Piel Island and right round to Whitbarrow Scar although the visibility was not as good as when we were on the other side of Morecambe Bay last week.

We returned to shore at a little cove below the ruins of the 8th Century St Patrick's Chapel and sat for a while on the rocks, enjoying the view and a brew.

Our return to the car involved a tour round the grounds of St Peter's Church with its poignant graveyard descending toward the sea, a tour of the Glebe garden with its many shrubs and oddments.....

..... then up through the old village and back to Half Moon Bay.  

  Don, Saturday 1st August 2020

Great
Little
Walks