Memories of Whorlton Lido, the lost County Durham attraction

Long before theme parks and indoor play centres, Whorlton Lido, beneath the Whorlton Suspension Bridge, was one of Teesdale’s most treasured summer destinations.

For generations, it offered paddling in shallow rapids, riverside picnics and later, miniature train rides that became the highlight of many childhoods.

“It was magical down there,” one former visitor recalled. “The river rushing past, the bridge overhead, it felt like a proper day out.”

Set on the south bank of the Tees, the grassy meadow gave families space to spread out while children splashed in the shallows. Surrounded by woodland and open countryside, it drew day‑trippers from across County Durham and North Yorkshire.

Whorlton suspension bridge seen from the River Tees near the lido (Image: ARCHIVE)

Many people crossed the nearby Whorlton Suspension Bridge, believed to be the oldest suspension bridge still supported by its original chains, before heading down to the recreation ground below.

In the early 1950s, Whorlton Lido gained the attraction that would define it for a generation. Bishop Auckland engineer Herbert Dunn, a miniature railway enthusiast, bought the land and installed a 15‑inch gauge railway.

The Whorlton Lido in 1991, when it was operated by the Watsons (Image: ARCHIVE)

The small‑scale trains quickly became a huge draw, delighting children and railway fans alike. After Herbert’s death, his son Raymond expanded the line with a tunnel and a lakeside loop, turning it into a full day out.

The locomotives included Barnes Atlantic engines built in the 1920s by Albert Barnes in Rhyl, some of which are still running on heritage railways today.

For many former visitors, the whistle and rumble of the miniature train remains the defining sound of Whorlton summers.

A mid-1970s photo with the Flying Scotsman on the track at Whorlton lido (Image: ARCHIVE)

Few realised the peaceful meadow also had a wartime past. In 1942, troops trained along this stretch of the Tees in preparation for the D‑Day landings.

Winston Churchill visited in December that year, watching soldiers cross the icy river and reportedly praising the exercise as a “first‑class show”.

Remnants of ironwork embedded in the rocks by the water are said to date back to those drills.

The station of the Whorlton Lido Railway (Image: ARCHIVE)

By the 1970s and 1980s, Whorlton Lido was thriving. On hot days, cars lined the lane as families arrived in their hundreds.

Picnic blankets covered the grass, children paddled in the river, and the miniature railway ran almost nonstop.

But in later years, vandalism and anti‑social behaviour began to take their toll. Visitor numbers fell, maintenance became harder, and in 2005 the site finally closed.

The land was sold into private ownership and fenced off, bringing decades of summer traditions to an end.

Today, the original Lido remains closed to the public, but its spirit lives on nearby through the volunteer‑run Thorpe Light Railway.

The locomotive Wendy, once a star attraction at Whorlton, still carries passengers on special open days, keeping the memory of those riverside summers alive.

Do you remember summers at Whorlton Lido? Let us know in the comments below.