Marsden village was built around the 1870s for families who came to work in the Whitburn Colliery  and the Marsden limestone quarry; the village which was home to 700 people consised of 135 houses a methodist church, a Co op and a Post office. The Village sat close to the cliff edge and when Whitburn Colliery closed in 1967 the villagers moved away from the village and Marsden Village was demolished eventully disapearing into the sea in 1976. 

Marsden grotto was originally built as a family home by 'Jack the blaster' in 1782 when he came to work at the limesrone quarry in Marsden.  Jack used dinomite to blast holes in the cliff face which is made of limestone, large enough to build his house inside.  The home he once occupied remains today as Marsden Grotto a family Pub/Resturant situated on Marsden beach. Access is gained to the grotto by either an elevator or climbing down the 131 steps from the car park at the cliff top.

An interesting fact the original lift had a window in so you could see the whole of the bay on the way down to the grotto, the current lift was originaly from a demolished block of flats in London.