This is about 2 miles from where I live
Marsden Grotto, South Shields
The Marsden Grotto, locally known as The Grotto, is a public house located on the coast at Marsden in South Shields, Tyne & Wear. The pub is unique in being the only 'cave bar' in Europe. The Grotto is now a pub/restaurant serving mainly seafood.
The Grotto is partly dug into the cliff face and fronted with a more conventional building opening onto the beach.
Currently The Grotto includes a large bar, the inside cave with another bar and pool room, a bistro, a heated terrace on the beach and a full restaurant upstairs. Access is either by lift from the car park or by a zigzag stair case on the cliff at the side of the building. The lift is housed in a brick shaft rising from the front of the building.
There have long been tales of hauntings at the Grotto, mainly relating to a smuggler who was reputedly murdered by his fellow criminals after selling information to HM Customs. It is said that he was hung in a cave close to the present lift shaft and left to starve. Until the pub was sold by Vaux, it was said that the landlord 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.
Unfortunately the original tankard was lost during refurbishment. A replacement is on display, but is no longer filled up each night for the ghost. The pub was also the venue for Most Haunted, a UKTV television program where paranormal researchers claimed to have identified at least seven different spirits.
Group Reports
Main Bar
Using dowsing rods, Simon, Sue and Denise believe they made contact with a female called Mary-Anne, who was 23 years old and was a ‘lady of the night’. She died at Marsden Grotto and has been there a long time.
Andrea and Dave felt cold spots and they felt as those they were being watched. They also both felt sick and experienced cramps. Rachel caught a strange blue streak of light and an orb on a photograph using her digital camera.
Cave Bar
Chris picked up on a man called Thomas and a female called Ann-Marie.
Numerous groups experienced rocks falling but the group had been informed previously this happens often and is not paranormal.
Andrea and Dave felt cold and hot spots. Leanne and Rachel believe the chains moved beside them when asked.
Middle Bar and Stairs
Using dowsing rods, Simon, Sue and Denise sensed a male presence and also a female, who they feel was not in the photo that was given to the team from the pub management. Andrea and Dave felt lots of cold and hot spots. Dave picked up on a child crying and they heard footsteps on the stairs. Andrea also heard what she believed to be pool/snooker balls clashing, as if someone was playing a game.
Rachel, Leanne and Chris all heard a noise. Leanne and Chris thought it was like a whistle, whilst Rachel interpreted the noise as a cat meowing. Rachel had been informed prior to the investigation that cat noises had been heard in the area. Rachel didn’t tell Leanne and Chris what she had interpreted the noise as, but five minutes later Leanne and Chris both said they heard a cat meowing. Chris saw a black shadow move past the serving hatch, for the restaurant, towards the steps. Chris also later sensed a Border Collie dog.
Restaurant
Chris sensed a man and a female waitress. Using dowsing rods, Simon, Sue and Denise sensed a female, who was over 50 and not married. They also sensed a male called Christopher who committed suicide. Rachel smelt cannabis but didn’t tell anyone. Ten minutes later Chris tasted and smelt cannabis (Not that anybody within NGI knows what cannibis tastes or smells like - just what we think cannibis would taste and smell like!! Honest Guv!!) Toilets and Spiral Staircase
Andrea and Dave heard something that sounded like toilets flushing but there was no-one in them. They also both felt dizzy and experienced an ache in their lower back; they both mentioned their back ache at the same time.
Séance
A séance was held in the Cave Bar. Chris picked up on Thomas and an argument between Thomas and a group of four men, one of which was called Jack. Very cold breezes were felt by Denise, Danny, Rachel and Paul. Leanne felt sick and very uncomfortable, so the séance was ended
