{{Short description|Rock formation in Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{good article}} {{Infobox landform | name = Marsden Rock | type = [[Stack (geology)|Sea stack]] | image = File:Marsden Rock - geograph.org.uk - 1260849.jpg | caption = Marsden Rock in 2006 | elevation = | elevation_ref = | pushpin_map = Tyne and Wear | pushpin_relief = 1 | map_caption = Location in Tyne and Wear | pushpin_label_position = none | location = [[Tyne and Wear]], [[North East England]] | coordinates = {{coord|54|58|39|N|01|22|31|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} | alt=Picture of Marsden Rock in 2006 | geology=[[Magnesian Limestone]] | coordinates_ref={{Efn|[https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/local/marsden-rock-south-tyneside Coordinates from Ordnance Survey]|name=a}} | grid_ref_UK=NZ 4008 6493 }} '''Marsden Rock''' is a rock in [[Tyne and Wear]], [[North East England]], situated in [[Marsden, Tyne and Wear|Marsden]], [[South Shields]]. It is overlooked by the [[Marsden Grotto]]. The rock is a {{convert|90|ft|m}} [[Stack (geology)|sea stack]] of [[Magnesian Limestone]] which lies approximately {{Convert|300|ft|m}} off the main cliff face. It was formerly known for its naturally-formed arch. The arch collapsed in 1996 following a winter of storms creating two separate stacks. The smaller of the two was demolished in 1997 due to safety concerns. The remaining stack is reachable on foot during low tide but is completely surrounded by water at high tide. The cliffs surrounding Marsden Rock are an important breeding ground for seabirds and colonies can often be seen on top of the rock itself, including [[kittiwake]]s, [[European herring gull|herring gulls]], and [[razorbill]]s.

== Geology ==

=== Creation === [[File:Marsden Rock in 1990 - geograph.org.uk - 2261806.jpg|alt=Picture of Marsden Rock in 1990. The arch was formed by erosion of the limestone rock by waves and weather.|thumb|Marsden Rock in 1990. The arch was formed by erosion of the limestone rock by waves and weather.|left]] During the [[Carboniferous]] Period, the Marsden coast was part of a continent and tropical swampland which stretched across the [[equator]]. Over time, the peat, sand and mud hardened to form the [[coal measures]] and the land [[Continental drift|drifted]] north of the equator. This land became a desert and subsequently lay below sea level, flooded around 260 million years ago by the [[Zechstein Sea]] which periodically rose and fell.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2014|title=Cliffs, quarries and mills|url=http://www.limestonelandscapes.info/media/12356/Cliffs-Quarries-and-Mills-A3/pdf/CliffsQuarriesMillsA3.pdf|access-date=8 January 2022|website=Limestonelandscapes.info|publisher=Limestone Landscapes|archive-date=8 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108225304/http://www.limestonelandscapes.info/media/12356/Cliffs-Quarries-and-Mills-A3/pdf/CliffsQuarriesMillsA3.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Permian]] Magnesian rocks found on Marsden coast were formed around 250 million years ago.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where to find the coastal health walks |url=https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/media/7294/Coastal/pdf/Coastal.pdf?m=635527031836570000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131150444/https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/media/7294/Coastal/pdf/Coastal.pdf |archive-date=2022-01-31 |access-date=8 January 2022 |website=[[South Tyneside Council]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The land continued to drift northwards over the next 250 million years until it reached its current position. The [[ice age]] which occurred around 15,000 years ago was largely responsible for shaping the current landscape of the Marsden coastline and surrounding area.<ref name=":0"/>

=== Erosion === [[File:Marsden Rock and Marsden Grotto from the beach - geograph.org.uk - 1636956.jpg|alt=Marsden Rock was once part of the main cliff, but became separated over time due to the erosion of less-resistant stone.|thumb|Marsden Rock (left) was once part of the main cliff, but became separated over time due to the erosion of less-resistant stone.]] The [[Magnesian Limestone]] coast along [[Tyne and Wear]] is variable; some sections are firm and compact whilst other sections are brittle and easily disintegrated by the sea and weather. Marsden Rock was formed by erosion of less-resistant stone along the [[Joint (geology)|joints]] of the cliffs of Marsden Bay, resulting in an isolated stack of compacted limestone.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/worldweliveinill02willuoft/page/n9/mode/2up|title=The World We Live In. An Illustrated Description of all the Lands and Seas of the Globe, their Peoples, Animals, Plants and Products|publisher=The Waverley Book Company|year=1915–1918|editor-last=Williams|editor-first=Graeme|location=London|pages=257–258|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[The Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Weston|first=W. J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O9LfUp9NkhsC&dq=marsden+rock&pg=PA46|title=Durham|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=1914|isbn=978-1-107-69465-1|location=Cambridge|pages=45–46|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> A channel was carved through the rock by waves which formed a natural arch.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pepper|first=John Henry|author-link=John Henry Pepper|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JhEAAAAAQAAJ|title=The boy's book of metals|publisher=[[Routledge|George Routledge and Sons]]|year=1875|edition=8|location=United Kingdom|pages=175|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> By the 1800s, the arch had become large enough for sailing boats to pass through at high tide.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QzFDAAAAcAAJ|title=Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham, and Northumberland, illustrated.|publisher=H. Fisher, R. Fisher, & P. Jackson|others=Drawings by Thomas Allom, George Pickering, &c.; Descriptions by T. Rose.|year=1832|location=London|pages=176|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Small caves have been carved into the rock over time which can be observed at low tide.<ref name=":2" /> Resistant [[Bed (geology)|beds]], jutting out from the cliff and covered in vegetation, and [[Promontory|promontories]] have also developed around the rock.<ref>{{Cite thesis|last=Westgate|first=W. A.|title=Some aspects of the geomorphology of the Durham coast|date=1957|degree=|publisher=[[Durham University]]|url=http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8519/}}</ref> The surrounding beach is composed of sand and gravel generated by shoreward drifting of sediment.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mfo5TPb7SDsC|title=Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms|publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]]|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4020-8638-0|editor-last=Bird|editor-first=Eric C. F.|location=Germany|pages=467|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=25 February 1865|title=Fall of Marsden Rock|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_building-uk_1865-02-25_23_1151/page/144/mode/2up|magazine=[[Building (magazine)|The Builder]]|volume=23|issue=1151|page=144|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> In early 1996 following a winter of storms, the top of the natural arch collapsed.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Johnson|first=Doris|url=https://archive.org/details/millenniumrememb0000john/page/2/mode/2up|title=The Millennium Remembered. South Tyneside|publisher=Petersons Printing Ltd|year=2001|isbn=0-906617-35-9|location=Great Britain|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> This caused the rock to split into two separate stacks.<ref name=":1" /> The smaller of these two stacks, standing at {{Convert|33|m|ft}},<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=October 1997|others=Contributed by Tony Armstrong|title=Great Cormorants under pressure again|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_british-birds_1997-10_90_10/page/442/mode/2up|magazine=[[British Birds (magazine)|British Birds]]|volume=90, 10|page=442|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Punnett|first1=Neil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RKuWgcPPUJIC|title=The New Wider World - Teacher's Resource Guide|last2=Rae|first2=Alison|publisher=[[Nelson Thornes]]|year=2003|isbn=0-7487-7377-0|edition=2nd|location=Great Britain|pages=204|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gates|first=Phil|date=2 April 1997|title=A Country Diary|page=20|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=http://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A76235525/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=3fe1c8cf|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Gale|Gale OneFile]]}}</ref> The remaining stack stands at {{Convert|90|ft|m}} high.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last1=Harrap|first1=Simon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ATJLAAAAQBAJ|title=Where to Watch Birds in Britain|last2=Redman|first2=Nigel|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|year=2013|isbn=978-1408194195|edition=Second|location=United Kingdom|access-date=14 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

In 2018, it was reported that the materials forming the cliffs near Marsden Rock were weak and highly prone to fragmentation, with continued evidence of weathering.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/16115981/ICEcoastconference.pdf|title=Coastal Road asset management: dealing with uncertainty using quantitative erosion monitoring and modelling|last1=Lim|first1=Michael|last2=Hogg|first2=Michelle|date=2018|last3=Westoby|first3=Matthew|last4=Pound|first4=Matthew|last5=Dunlop|first5=Lesley|last6=Woodward|first6=John|access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref> In 2020, the Rock itself was reported as "broadly stable", but local collapses of cave formations were still possible.<ref name=":2">{{Cite report |url=https://www.northeastcoastalobservatory.org.uk/data/reports/index.php?link=&dla=download&id=43&cat=60/South%20Tyneside%202020%20Walkover%20Inspection%20Report.pdf |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109135109/https://www.northeastcoastalobservatory.org.uk/data/reports/index.php?link=&dla=download&id=43&cat=60/South%20Tyneside%202020%20Walkover%20Inspection%20Report.pdf |archive-date=2022-01-09 |title=Cell 1 Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme Walkover Inspection Surveys 2020 |date=August 2020 |publisher=[[South Tyneside Council]] |page=15 |access-date=9 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><gallery widths="220" heights="160" class="center" mode="nolines"> File:Arch in Marsden Rock - geograph.org.uk - 1260839.jpg|alt=Picture taken in 2006 of a smaller arch which has been carved out of the remaining magnesian limestone stack.|Picture taken in 2006 of a smaller arch which has been carved out of the remaining magnesian limestone stack. File:Marsden Rock - geograph.org.uk - 2478984.jpg|alt=Picture of Marsden Rock in 2011, 14 years after the collapse of the arch and demolition of the smaller stack.|Marsden Rock in 2011, 14 years after the collapse of the arch and subsequent demolition of the smaller stack. </gallery>

== Wildlife == [[File:Seabirds on Marsden Rock - geograph.org.uk - 918270.jpg|alt=Picture of group of seabirds, a mainly cormorants, sitting on top of Marsden Rock.|thumb|A group of seabirds, mainly cormorants, sitting on top of Marsden Rock.]] The limestone cliffs which surround Marsden Rock are among the most important breeding colonies for seabirds in the north east of England.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/nationaltrustboo0000unse_y8s7/page/338/mode/2up|title=The National Trust book of the countryside|publisher=[[National Trust|National Trust Books]]|year=2009|isbn=978-1905400690|location=London|pages=339|access-date=14 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> In the summer, the cliffs by Marsden Rock are home to [[fulmar]]s, [[cormorant]]s, [[kittiwake]]s, [[European herring gull|herring gulls]], and [[razorbill]]s.<ref name=":5"/> The rock itself is an important habitat for cormorants, which have been there since 1960 but have never been seen to breed. [[Puffin]] and [[guillemot]] fly past the area regularly and [[tern]]s feed offshore. In the late autumn, migrant terns, [[skua]]s, and [[gannet]]s can be seen on the rock. [[Peregrine falcon]]s can occasionally be found in the winter along with [[Lapland Bunting|Lapland bunting]] and [[snow bunting]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Britton|first=Dave|url=https://archive.org/details/wheretowatchbird0000brit/page/184/mode/2up|title=Where to watch birds in northeast England|publisher=Christopher Helm|year=2004|isbn=0713668261|location=London|pages=185|access-date=14 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Scott|first=Bob|url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofbritishbi0000scot_p3e8/page/n7/mode/2up|title=The atlas of British birdlife|publisher=[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life Books]]|year=1987|isbn=0-600-33319-1|location=London|pages=151|access-date=14 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref><ref name=":6"/> In 1998, it was reported that Marsden Rock was the site of the only recorded breeding ground for [[Manx shearwater]] on the east coast on mainland Britain.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thompson|first=K. R.|url=https://archive.org/details/seabirdnumbersbr0000thom_p7y5/page/n1/mode/2up|title=Seabird numbers and breeding success in Britain and Ireland|publisher=[[Joint Nature Conservation Committee]]|year=1998|isbn=1861074484|pages=17|access-date=14 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

== Historical and cultural significance ==

[[File:South_Shields_postcard_with_Marsden_Rock,_Westoe_Village,_Pier,_Terrace,_West_Park.jpg|thumb|Early 20th-century postcard of [[South Shields]] with Marsden Rock vignette at centre, one of many publications featuring the rock<ref name="Henderson 2013"/>]]

Marsden Rock has long been a local tourist attraction and significant landmark due to its appearance and history. It is believed to have once been a location for smuggling brandy and tobacco,<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1871|title=A gardener's holiday.-No.2|url=https://archive.org/details/journalofhorticu18712lond/page/360/mode/2up|journal=The Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener and Country Gentlemen|volume=XLVI|pages=361|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> the surrounding high cliff-faces providing cover for the moor boats.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Orr|first=Robyn|date=30 May 2016|title=Life wasn't always beachy at Marsden Rock and Grotto; Robyn Orr is a history academic who has been working with the team at South Shields Museum and has been carrying out research into the history of tourism in the town. Here she shares some of her finds|page=27|work=[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|The Journal]]|url=http://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A453584977/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=e77ec904|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale OneFile]]}}</ref> The rock is also famous for its eccentric inhabitants: [[Marsden Grotto#Jack the Blaster|Jack the Blaster]] was a smuggler, poacher and miner who inhabited Marsden Bay in the 18th century with his wife.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sgkHAAAAQAAJ&dq=jack+the+blaster&pg=RA1-PA7|title=Summer excursions in the north of England.|publisher=Robert Ward|year=1851|location=Newcastle|pages=7–8|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/s7643id1338334/page/128/mode/2up|title=Monthly chronicle of North-Country lore and legend|publisher=Walter Scott|year=1887|location=Newcastle-on-Tyne|pages=128|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> It was reported that Jack moved to Marsden Bay in 1780 when he was almost 80 years old after refusing to pay rent at his house in [[Allenheads]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 June 2021|title=Jack The Blaster Bates comes home in song|work=[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|The Journal]]|url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/jack-blaster-bates-comes-home-4407858|access-date=13 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309121853/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/jack-blaster-bates-comes-home-4407858|archive-date=9 March 2016}}</ref> A subsequent inhabitant, [[Peter Allan (landlord)|Peter Allan]], was a local eccentric tavern owner and builder who carved a home out of the rocks in Marsden Bay. In 1828, he moved in with his wife and family.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dictionary of national biography|publisher=[[Smith, Elder & Co.]]|year=1885|editor-last=Stephen|editor-first=Leslie|volume=I|location=London|pages=296}}</ref> By the late 19th century, the top of Marsden Rock was accessible by ladders and stairs which had been constructed by Peter Allan and his family.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YfvierF49YC|title=Monthly Chronicle of North-country Lore and Legend|publisher=Walter Scott|year=1891|volume=5|location=Newcastle-on-Tyne|pages=567|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> The excavations and access to picturesque views attracted the attention of holiday-makers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3gEPAQAAIAAJ&dq=marsden+rock&pg=PA217|title=Recreative Science; a Record and Remembrancer of Intellectual Observation|publisher=Groombridge and Sons|year=1862|volume=III|location=London|pages=217|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> By 1887, it was reported that thousands of people had scaled the rock thanks to Allan's stairs.<ref name=":3"/> In 1903, a choir climbed onto the rock to perform a choral service.<ref name=":4"/> A contemporary news report recorded the event as "most inspiring to the listeners as they stood on the high cliffs of the mainland, and heard the great swell of choral praise floating over the wide waters and ascending to heaven."<ref>{{Cite news|date=3 January 2005|title=Rock of ages|page=20|work=[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|Journal]]|url=http://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A126645531/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=35e63824|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale OneFile]]}}</ref>

The significance of Marsden Rock as a local landmark is evident in its various pictorial and artistic depictions. The rock has been featured on many postcards, photographs and paintings of the area.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Henderson 2013">{{Cite news|last=Henderson|first=Tony|date=9 February 2013|title=The affection for striking landmark remains rock-solid|page=32|work=[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|The Journal]]|url=http://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A318064338/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=e3cc60b2|access-date=13 January 2022|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale OneFile]]}}</ref> It is pictured on the Marsden Lodge Banner which represents the pitmen who worked in [[Whitburn Colliery]] alongside the phrase "Firm as a rock we stand".<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 April 2014|title=Village's Mining Heritage Goes on Display|url=https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/42227/Village-s-Mining-Heritage-Goes-on-Display|access-date=9 January 2022|website=[[South Tyneside Council]]|archive-date=9 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109181231/https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/42227/Village-s-Mining-Heritage-Goes-on-Display|url-status=dead}}</ref> It has also appeared as a backdrop in the North-East drama ''[[Catherine Cookson]].''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Leggott|first=James|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hro1EAAAQBAJ&dq=marsden+rock&pg=PA122|title=The North East of England on Film and Television|publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]|year=2021|isbn=978-3-030-69145-5|location=Germany|pages=122|access-date=13 January 2022|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

<gallery widths="350" heights="200" mode="nolines" class="center" caption="Wood engravings of Marsden Rock"> File:Marsden Rock by Thomas Bewick.png|alt=A wood engraving of Marsden Rock by Thomas Bewick, created in 1798 and published in A History of British Birds (1804).|A wood engraving of Marsden Rock by [[Thomas Bewick]], created in 1798 and published in ''[[A History of British Birds]]'' (1804). File:Marsden Rock by John Jackson.png|alt=A wood engraving of Marsden Rock by John Jackson, created between 1816 and 1848.|A wood engraving of Marsden Rock by [[John Jackson (engraver)|John Jackson]], created between 1816 and 1848. </gallery>

There have been a number of songs and poems written about Marsden Rock. ''The Legend of Marsden Rock; or the life and adventures of Little Spottee, the hermit of the rock'', is a four-part poem and ghost story written by John Young in 1800.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Young|first=John|url=https://archive.org/details/legendofmarsdenr00unse/page/n5/mode/2up|title=The legend of Marsden Rock, or, The life and adventures of Little Spottee, the hermit of the rock|publisher=J. Ross|year=1800|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> A song about Marsden Rock, to the tune of ''Jockey to the Fair'', was sung in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/allansillustrat00firgoog/page/n7/mode/2up|title=Allan's illustrated edition of Tyneside songs and readings. With lives, portraits, and autographs of the writers, and notes on the songs|publisher=T & G Allan|year=1891|location=Newcastle-upon-Tyne|pages=343|access-date=13 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> John Lodge included a poem entitled ''Ode the Marsden Rock'' in his 1842 poetry collection – ''The Bard, and minor poems'' – dedicated to [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]]. The poem marvels in the physical qualities and surroundings of Marsden Rock.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Walker Ord|first=John|url=https://archive.org/details/bardandminorpoe00lodggoog/page/n210/mode/2up|title=The Bard, and Minor Poems|publisher=[[Simpkin & Marshall|Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.]]|year=1842|editor-last=Lodge|editor-first=John|edition=2nd|access-date=9 January 2022|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{Poem quote|text=Hail, giant rock! hail, fortress of the deep! Grim fortress of this stern and rock-bound shore, Around thy base a thousand billows sweep, Around thy head a thousand tempests roar, And still thou dost maintain thy sway for evermore.|title=Excerpt from ''Ode to Marsden Rock''|source=''The Bard, and Minor Poems'', ed. John Lodge}}

== References == === Notes === {{Notelist}}

=== Citations === {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Marsden Rock}}{{oscoor gbx|NZ 4008 6493}}

{{authority control}}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311124104/http://www.skylighters.org/marsden/ Blowing up the rock]

<references group="lower-alpha" />

[[Category:Water towers in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Tyne and Wear]] [[Category:Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside]] [[Category:Landforms of Tyne and Wear]] [[Category:Stacks of England]] [[Category:Natural arches of England|United Kingdom]] [[Category:South Shields]] [[Category:Collapsed arches]] [[Category:Tidal islands of England]]