Marsden Rock

Marsden Rock is a rock formation on the coast of County Durham, standing in the North Sea by Marsden. Once much grander the rock has been eroded by the sea and the wind into frequently changing shapes and in 1997 much of it was blown up for safety reasons, in case of collapse onto a popular beach.

The rock is owned by the National Trust. The rock is reachable on foot during low tide, but is completely surrounded by water at high tide.

The Marsden Grotto, built into a cave in the cliff, looks out on the rock.

The changing rock

The Marsden Rock today stands 100 feet high. It is a sea stack of periclase and Magnesian Limestone which lies approximately 100 yards 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. Before this great sundering, the arch 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.

Wildlife

The rock is home to seabird colonies, with thousands of pairs of black-legged kittiwakes, northern fulmar|fulmars, gulls and cormorants.

Pictures

In 1969, from the south
In 1974, from the south
In 2005, from the north (after collapse of the arch and demolition of the smaller remaining stack)
From the clifftop