19th June 2024
Marsden Beach.
Marsden Bay.
Marsden Grotto.
In 1782 Jack Bates, an unemployed miner from Allendale, moved to Marsden looking for work. He found the caves hidden within Marsden Bay's limestone cliff face and decided to expand one of them with explosives to create a house for himself and his wife.
The steps from the cliff top to the beach were said to have been carved by "Jack the Blaster" in 1788. He is said to have made a living from smuggling. He died in 1792 and his wife vacated their cave home. Peter Allan moved into the cave in 1826. He expanded it further finding 18 human skeletons in the process, possibly smugglers. Allan made a two-storey cave with a basic kitchen which he opened as an inn called the Tam O' Shanter, renamed shortly as the Marsden Grotto. The inn was popular with smugglers. High tides flooded the inn in the 1850s and a cliff face collaped in 1864. Peter Allan had died in 1849. The rest of the family left in 1874.
The business was taken over by Sidney Milnes Hawkes and the building made sound. It was then sold to Vaux Brewery in 1898. The Grotto included a ballroom, which was popular in the Edwardian era, when visitors travelled to Marsden by boat (no coast road until modern times).
It is the only 'cave-bar' in Europe and is said to be the most haunted public house in England.
Source: Sitelines
Marsden Rock.
Marsden Rock was a popular picnic spot. In 1896, Peter Allen, Landlord of the Grotto, and two companions spent two weeks cutting a channel and steps into the rock, and then connecting it to the ground with a ladder. Visitors enjoyed a picnic on top of the rock - 109 feet above the sea! In April 1903 a choral service was held on top of the rock.
Marsden Rock has eroded and had various collapses throughout its history. In 1865, part of the rock gave way and five tons of rock fell through a building below. In early 1996 following a winter of storms, the top of the natural arch collapsed. This caused the rock to split into two separate stacks. The smaller of these two stacks, standing at 33 metres (108 ft), was inspected and deemed unstable and in danger of collapsing. It was demolished by the National Trust in 1997 in the interest of public safety. The remaining stack stands at 90 feet (27 m) high.
Source: Wikipedia.
Little Marsden Rock.
Trow Quarry.
Trow Quarry is a former magnesium limestone quarry which was used to provide stone for the South Pier and South Groyne. Used as landfill during the later part of the Twentieth Century. It has recently undergone revetment after erosion from the sea washed holes in the cliff face, exposing the rubbish underneath and dragging chemicals into the water.
Trow Quarry, Grahams Sand.
Trow Point, Disappearing Gun.
The site of Hiram Maxim's experimental 'floating platform', a cylinder, stood in water, which rose when gas was pumped in above the water, and fell when the gas was released. A standard naval gun was mounted on top of the cylinder and would be concealed while being loaded, and then rise out of the pit to fire. Constructed 1886-7 for the Inspector General of Fortifications for experimental trials, but proved to be too slow and was abandoned.
In 1894 the machinery and ironwork was removed and the pit filled. Described as a concrete cylinder, with 21 feet internal diameter, and a western extension for approach tunnel. The Interior shows runners for a floating platform and entrance to the tunnel.
The gun is a replica constructed in the 1990's by The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines
Trow Point.
Sandhaven Beach.
The Waters Edge Pub, Sandhaven Beach.
18th June 2015
Littlehaven Beach.
An early morning visit to the recently redeveloped Littlehaven beach.
23rd July 2014
South Pier.
Construction of the Pier by the Tyne Improvement Commission began in 1854.The 2nd edition Ordnance Survey plan shows the pier construction works and the railway associated with this structure. The Volunteer Life Brigade Watch House was at the south end of the pier, a lighthouse was built at its northern end. Source: Sitelines.
19th February 2008
r.jpg "South Shields Beach")
r.jpg "South Shields Beach")
r.jpg "South Shields Beach")
r.jpg "South Shields Beach")
r.jpg "South Shields Beach")
Sandhaven Beach.
r.jpg "South Shields Pier")
r.jpg "South Shields Pier")
South Pier and Lighthouse.
r.jpg "South Shields Beach")
Sandhaven Beach Play Area.
r.jpg "South Shields Seafront")
Ghandi's Temple.
This shelter and lavatories was built for people using the sands and is known locally as Gandhi’s Temple. Opened 19th September 1931. Almost no change has occurred to the building throughout its life apart from the removal of seating and partitions from the upper storey which led to the assumption it was a bandstand. Information from 2015 ahead of conversion to arestaurant. Architect James Paton Watson.
Source: Sitelines.
r.jpg "South Shields Seafront")
Sea Road.
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