Current offshore technology is being transferred successfully to the renewable energy sector but there is clearly scope to develop foundation systems which are more efficient, economic and satisfactory for the particular case of a wind turbine. One such approach is that foundation systems are developed which combine several foundation elements to create a ‘hybrid’ system. In this way it may be possible to develop a foundation system which is more efficient for the combination of vertical and lateral loads associated with wind turbines. In many of the proposed offshore European wind farms sites, it is often the case that the surficial seabed deposits are underlain by a weak rock. This paper presents the results of a series of small scale single gravity tests to investigate the performance of a monopile and combined monopiled and bearing plate foundation where the pile is socketed into a weak rock. In the model studies the weak rock layer is modelled by a weak sand and gypsum mix. The results of the study provide an insight into the effect of the various foundation elements (i.e. pile, plate and rock socket) and their contribution to the overall performance of the foundation system.