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If you are staying with us this Halloween weekend then you might want to visit one of the many haunted places in North East England, we are often asked by guests who stay with us over Halloween for suggestions of places to go so we have made a series of blog posts with all the haunted venues in the North East region that you might like to visit…
Marsden Grotto, known locally as just The Grotto is the closest supposedly haunted location to our bed and breakfast accommodation in South Shields.
Marsden Grotto can be found less then ten minutes drive from us in Marsden on the Coast Road heading towards Whitburn, NE34 7BS.
Marsden Grotto is a public house and restaurant.
Marsden Grotto is one of the very few ‘cave bars’ in Europe, it is partly dug into the limestone cliff face.
Access to the Marsden Grotto via a lift or a zig zag staircase on the cliff at the side of the building.
The Marsden Grotto has a long history dating back to 1782 with a reputation for smuggling activities.
There are several tales of hauntings at Marsden Grotto, mainly relating to a smuggler named John the Jibber who was reputedly murdered by his fellow criminals after selling information to HM Customs.
It is said that he was hung in a barrel in a cave close to the present lift shaft and left to starve.
A popular story is that a former landlord of the pub would leave out a special tankard of ale each night after closing and in the morning it would be empty.
Local DJ and TV presenter Alan Robson drank from the tankard during one of his live Metro Radio shows, allegedly sparking off a series of supernatural phenomena that eventually forced the then landlord to quit.
This included flying ashtrays smashing against the wall and flooding in the cellar after all the beer taps were inexplicably turned on.
You can read more about Marsden Grotto here Marsden Grotto (opens in a new window).
You can see a short British Pathé video filmed inside Marsden Grotto here…
Several local paranormal investigation teams have held vigils at Marsden Grotto and continue to do so.
If you would like to take part in a group ghost hunt to the pub visit…
Haunted Rooms (opens in a new window).
Ghost North East (opens in a new window).
Ghost Team (opens in a new window).
Spirit Seekers (opens in a new window).
If you are visiting Marsden Grotto pub during its opening hours you can see their bar menu here…
If you are looking for hotel accommodation near Marsden Grotto on the Coast Road at Marsden in South Shields our bed and breakfast best price and room availability is here Book Online.
Room information including photographs can be found on the Accommodation page of our website.
Tuesday 9th June 2026, 13:55 BST
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