Pictures of Marsden Bay

in the town of South Shields, in the county of Tyne & Wear

About Marsden Bay

Sadly, the great triumphal arch, that had for so long dominated this beautiful bay, crumbled and collapsed in 1996. The arch was an imposing chunk of limestone that towered 139ft high, over the years it had been a favourite subject for photographs and postcards.

This little spot was favoured by the Edwardians, who flocked here when it became fashionable to picnic beside the sea. Marsden Bay is a deeply curved bay of soft golden sands, it is surrounded almost entirely by crumbling limestone cliffs which provide a haven for colonies of sea-birds. There are spectacular views all along this isolated stretch of coast and it is quite magnificent when, in tumbling rain, a swollen ocean leashes it's might against the massive limestone cliffs.

A flight of steps leads from the car park to the beach, and interestingly, a lift takes visitors to The Grotto, a pub built into caves at th foot of the cliffs. It is believed that the Grotto was built by a miner, who lived there with his family in 1782. There is sailing from the bay and close-by is Souter Lighthouse, built in 1871 and closed in 1988 when it was purchased by the National Trust, is open to the public

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Nearby travel help

Tyne Dock Station	(2.6 miles, 4.1 km, direction W)
East Boldon Station	(2.7 miles, 4.4 km, direction SW)
A1(M) Junction 65	(8.6 miles, 13.9 km, direction SW)
New Bridge Street	(9.0 miles, 14.5 km, direction W)
Newcastle International Airport	(13.2 miles, 21.2 km, direction W)
Teesside International Airport	(32.4 miles, 52.1 km, direction S)
Marsden Bay to London	(245.4 miles, 394.8 km, direction S)

Hotels near Marsden Bay

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