Souter Lighthouse to South Shields is where we (Julie and Martin) live and has been familiar to us for our whole lives. It has an incredible coastline of limestone cliffs, beautiful bays and golden beaches.
The start
The start (and the end) is Souter Lighthouse. This is one of the icons of this piece of coast and can be seen from almost anywhere between Roker and South Shields. We had our customary group photo in front of it.
Marsden
As we walked along the clifftops, from Souter, we came to Marsden Grotto. This is a bar/restaurant/hotel that is set into the cliff at Marsden. It has a long history going back to the days of smugglers.
We took the stairs down to the beach and walked towards Camel Island, admiring the folds of limestone in the cliff-face and “Lot’s Wife”, the remaining limestone stack on the beach. We then made our way to the path leading back to the top of the cliff, avoiding the slippery seaweed on the way.
Frenchman’s Bay
From Marsden we followed the cliff top to Frenchman’s Bay. Reputedly, a French ship floundered here and was wrecked, hence the name.
Trow Rocks
Trow Rocks area has a long history of quarrying and defence.
South Shields
On reaching South Shields, we had a good walk on the gorgeous beach and then found somewhere for lunch. Most had brought their lunch but Julie and Martin went for fish and chips.
After lunch, the group decided that dessert would be ice cream from Minchella’s.
Back to Marsden and the Grotto
The weather looked a bit changeable, so we took the direct route back to Marsden. This deserved a little visit to the Grotto, for refreshements.
Souter
After the Grotto, we had a little stroll back to Souter and our trip home. For once this journey was shorter for Julie and Martin (Approx. 10 mins).
Hope you all enjoyed the walk. See you next time.
Julie and Martin x
If you enjoyed the Souter Lighthouse to South Shields walk, why not take a look at our other walks.
Gallery – Souter Lighthouse to South Shields
