Peter Allan
Encyclopedia
Peter Allan was an English recluse and eccentric who carved rocks in the Marsden Bay at Marsden, South Shields
into a house.
and Jane Renny, who was the daughter of Archibald Kenley of Tranent
, Allan was initially a valet to Williams Williamson and a gamekeeper
for the Marquess of Londonderry
. He later ran a tavern in the village Whitburn
on the Durham
coast.
near his property, he decided to turn a limestone
cliff in the Marsden Grotto
in the Marsden Bay into an actual house. He carved out fifteen rooms which connected to a farmhouse and tavern (The Grotto) on the cliff above.
He mostly remained with his wife and children in the rock and did not often visit the surrounding towns. He also saved a number of boats offshore and a group of children from drowning. In 1848 the lord of the manor
attempted to eject him based on his ownership of the above land. Allan successfully defended his right to live at the spot in a lawsuit, but died on August 31, 1849, perhaps affected by the stress. The structure, which became a sort of public attraction, was obliterated by a collapse of the cliff in February 1865. The Grotto remains, connected to a hotel.
Marsden, Tyne and Wear
Marsden is a suburb in South Shields, North East England, located on the North Sea coast.The original village of Marsden, was demolished in the 1960s due to the risk of erosion from the encroaching shoreline. What remains are five rows of Victorian terraced houses, which were originally built to...
into a house.
Early life
Born to Peter Allan, a shoemaker in GladsmuirGladsmuir
Gladsmuir is a village and parish in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the A199 and near Tranent and Prestonpans.-Description:The name Gladsmuir stems from the Scots word Gled, meaning a bird of prey, , combined with Muir; the Scots form of Moor...
and Jane Renny, who was the daughter of Archibald Kenley of Tranent
Tranent
Tranent is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is close to the A1 road and approximately east of Edinburgh. It is one of the oldest towns in East Lothian, and built on a gentle slope, about 300 feet above sea level.Population of the town is 9,917....
, Allan was initially a valet to Williams Williamson and a gamekeeper
Gamekeeper
A gamekeeper is a person who manages an area of countryside to make sure there is enough game for shooting, or fish for angling, and who actively manages areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland for the benefit of game birds, deer, fish and wildlife in general.Typically, a gamekeeper is...
for the Marquess of Londonderry
Marquess of Londonderry
Marquess of Londonderry is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of Commons. Stewart had already been created Baron Londonderry in 1789, Viscount Castlereagh in 1795 and Earl...
. He later ran a tavern in the village Whitburn
Whitburn, South Tyneside
Whitburn is a village in South Tyneside, on the coast of North East England. It lies just to the north of the City of Sunderland in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear. Until 1974, when the Local Government Act 1972 came into being, it was part of County Durham...
on the Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
coast.
Marsden
After becoming infatuated with and working at the quarriesQuarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
near his property, he decided to turn a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliff in the Marsden Grotto
Marsden Grotto
The Marsden Grotto, locally known as The Grotto, is a public house located on the coast at Marsden in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England-U.K. The pub is one of the only 'cave bars' in Europe, other 'cave bars' include the Caves of Xoroi in Menorca...
in the Marsden Bay into an actual house. He carved out fifteen rooms which connected to a farmhouse and tavern (The Grotto) on the cliff above.
He mostly remained with his wife and children in the rock and did not often visit the surrounding towns. He also saved a number of boats offshore and a group of children from drowning. In 1848 the lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
attempted to eject him based on his ownership of the above land. Allan successfully defended his right to live at the spot in a lawsuit, but died on August 31, 1849, perhaps affected by the stress. The structure, which became a sort of public attraction, was obliterated by a collapse of the cliff in February 1865. The Grotto remains, connected to a hotel.
Controversy
Although the history has some documentary backing, some insist that the story is exaggerated. Alan Robinson wrote a book in the 1970s denying the notion that Allan was a hermit. http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/mk4custompages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=40042§ionID=9410External links
- http://website.lineone.net/~d.ord/Grotto.htm - pictures and history of the Allan, the pub, and the area
- http://www.wearsideonline.com/mysteries01.html - Mysteries of the Grotto