Marsden Bay and Marsden Rock is located just on the outskirts of South Shields, north-west of Lizard Point and close to Souter Lighthouse.

The Magnesian coastline of the cliffs date back 250 million years and have been eroded by the sea to form stacks like Marsden Rock. Marsden Rock, home to one of England’s most important seabird colonies and  stands almost 100 metres from the cliff face and rises to the height of 30 metres. The rock’s pitted faces provide a habitat for thousands of seabirds like cormorants, gulls, fulmars and black-legged kittiwakes. The Rock once featured a stunning arch before it sadly collapsed into the sea .

In the cliff opposite Marsden Rock is the Marsden’s Grotto, which is and is a rare formation known as a cave bar, once used by smugglers.

At low tide you can also wander out to check out the sea life collected by the beach’s many rockpools.

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