Marsden Rock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marsden Rock |
|
|---|---|
In 1969, from the south
|
|
 Location in Northern England
|
|
| Location | Tyne and Wear, North East England |
| Coordinates | 54°58′39″N 1°22′31″W / 54.97743°N 1.37530°W |
Marsden Rock is a rock formation in Tyne and Wear, North East England, situated in Marsden, South Shields. It is owned by the National Trust and overlooked by the Marsden Grotto. It is reachable on foot during low tide, but is completely surrounded by water at high tide. The steps leading down to the beach beside the Grotto count 130.
The rock is a 100 feet (30 m) sea stack of periclase and Magnesian Limestone which lies approximately 100 yards (91 m) off the main cliff face. In 1803 a flight of steps was constructed up the side of the rock. In 1903 several choirs climbed onto the rock to perform a choral service. A juggling show was also performed by a group of trainee clowns who worked for Marsden Quarry.
In 1911 a large section of the rock collapsed into the sea leaving it as an arch. Continued tidal erosion caused the arch to collapse in 1996, splitting the rock into two separate stacks. Prior to this it had featured on many local postcards and photographs. In 1997 the smaller stack was declared unsafe and was demolished in the interests of public safety.
The rock is home to seabird colonies, with thousands of pairs of black-legged kittiwakes, fulmars, gulls and cormorants.
Images for kids
-
Marsden Rock in 1990. The arch was formed by erosion of the limestone rock by waves and weather.
-
Marsden Rock (left) was once part of the main cliff, but became separated over time due to the erosion of less-resistant stone.
-
A group of seabirds, mainly cormorants, sitting on top of Marsden Rock.
-
Early 20th-century postcard of South Shields with Marsden Rock vignette at centre, one of many publications featuring the rock
-
Picture taken in 2006 of a smaller arch which has been carved out of the remaining magnesian limestone stack.
-
Marsden Rock in 2011, 14 years after the collapse of the arch and subsequent demolition of the smaller stack.
-
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 John Jackson, created between 1816 and 1848.
