Equinus Cliffus
The White Horse
This White Horse was painted on the cliff face in Marsden Craggs, South Shields in the early 1800’s, it is visible on Google Earth. There is an entry in Wikipedia about it, but there is so much myth related to the tale that perhaps we are unsure of it’s authenticity.
Peter Allan
Peter Allan bought the Marsden Grotto with money left to him by his father, also Peter Allan. His father was the game keeper of Sir Headworth Williamson. When Williamson’s wife was swept out to sea on her horse on Marsden Bay, he gave all his horses to his ostler, who painted the White Horse on Cleadon Hills, and all of his money to Allen, his gameskeeper.
Peter extended the caves to include a ballroom and kitchen, turning Jack’s house into an inn.
In 1848 John Clay, who later became the first mayor of the County Borough of South Shields, bought The Leas and claimed that the land gave him rights to The Grotto. Allan battled with Clay in court and was forced to pay £50 costs and £10 annual rent for 20 years. Allan sunk into depression and died in 1849 leaving his wife and eight children.
After Allan’s death his family continued to run The Grotto for an additional 35 years. In this time many improvements were made, along with further excavations implemented by Allan’s children. A catastrophic cliff fall in 1865 almost destroyed the inn. Large retaining walls were built to protect the internal structure.
