Show on mapDonkey Pond is a flooded whinstone quarry in woodland near Gribdale Gate.
Very little is know of the history of this site, such as whether it was linked with the underground workings of the Gribdale Mining Company about 1km west.
As the whinstone ridge head in that direction a large cutting is visible where the whinstone has been removed, and numerous tramways can be traced through the woods.
 
When I was a Kid growing up in Ayton,this was always noted for being very deep. We knew it as the bottomless pond! It was always supposed to be something to do with the mines,but this could have been our parents trying to scare us so we kept away. Fat chance!
I heard that it was connected underground with the workings at Quarry Lake, but if it ever was, it isn’t anymore as the two water levels are very different.
It it was mined within the whinstone dyke then I suppose its possible, but its an awfully long way.
That said the inside of Sil Howe would be a similar distance were it still accessable.
Yep, it’s not beyond the realms of fantasy. I think I looked for plans of the Whinstone workings a couple of years ago, but no joy.
I wonder if there is much in the way of accessible workings along the dyke.
I was interested to have come across this page. Yes as a kid in Ayton I played around these sites and I too heard the two lakes were connected. If you mean quarry lake as the one thats down the valley towards New Row then yes I believe it is. Because when you go in the mine workings at Quarry Lake there was a bloody huge hole in the floor of the left hand tunnel with an underground stream which ran from the direction of Donkey Pond. On one day that floor in the mine was covered in hundreds of tiny frogs (young metaphorph to adult frog).
Happy days playing and a great place to have spent some childhood years
i know this place when i was i kid in the late sixties me and my two brothers and friends used to swim in them,,,we knew it as the blue laggoon i wonder if anyone else remembers it as that? i was born 1959 so was 7-8 years old when we used to swim there.i have fond memories of this place a place of discoveries for us lads from p.p pallister park
I don’t think what people know as the Blue Lagoon exists anymore, that was further down the Whinstone Dyke on the other side of Great Ayton and was filled in.
http://search.catflaporama.com/post/browse/528104131
I to remember playing at the blue lagoon, my dad used to take my sister & I, we were not allowed to swim in it (it was supposed to bottomless) my dad would dive in and we would wait with bated breath for him to surface, needless to say he always did.
We would spend all day there have a picnic, great times. this was the late fifties early sixties.
I went with my husband two weeks ago looking for it, no joy of course we
asked a couple of walkers who said they walk that area all the time and
had never heard of it, I was so disappointed not to find it.
have just found this site and am delighted that other people remember it.
Ooh the memories, desperate to swim in the blue lagoon, but not allowed as it was bottomless! However, was allowed to play in the ferns with the snakes (a day never forgotten by me and all the poor peeps who came running to my rescue)!
The snake being all of 10″ long.
But when your 6 or 7 I suppose it looked like a king cobra.
It was more scared of us.
I have vague memories of a Blue Lagoon at Great Ayton, as a 10 year old in the 1970’s. We used to walk a fair bit in those days !!!! However, after extensive search on the tinterweb, I am now even more confused.(It was over 35 years ago though)
The Blue Lagoon I remember had a lifebelt somewhere on it’s bank side, and also painted on the quarry wall in big letters was something like “Danger Deep Water” or “Danger No Diving”.
It looks like there may be 3 different possible locations now.
1. Donkey pond, as featured in this blog.
2. Kildale Lake. On private property, but out of the way really, and not a family type of walk I would expect.
3. Whinstone Farm. The lagoon was possibly here but filled in a while back.The site is now a caravan park and Bistro.
Please put me out of my misery about this if you can. It has been driving me a bit mad recently trying to get the proper answers.
Thanks
Mark
Option 3, near the Whinstone View caravan park and now filled in.
Why has my recent question been removed ?
Pingback: Blue Lagoon / Donkey Pond / Lonsdale Quarry | Hidden Teesside
What a surprise to read about the Blue Lagoon near Ayton. In the late 40’s summer weekends were spent walking over there from South Bank, Teesville and Normanby, up Flat’s Lane, over the hills to the Cross Keys, over the fields to Newton, Roseberry Topping, Kildale – TO – the Blue Lagoon. Didn’t dare swim in the bottomless!? lagoon. Remember being warned of the snakes !? I can look back nostalgically to those happy adventurous days. Thankyou for the memory !