View source for Rainhill

{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| type                     = Village
| coordinates              = {{coord|53.41566|-2.76253|display=inline,title}}
| official_name            = Rainhill
| population               = 10,853
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]])
| metropolitan_borough     = [[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens]]
| civil_parish             = Rainhill
| metropolitan_county      = [[Merseyside]]
| region                   = North West England
| constituency_westminster = [[St Helens South and Whiston (UK Parliament constituency)|St Helens South and Whiston]]
| post_town                = PRESCOT
| postcode_area            = L
| postcode_district        = L35
| dial_code                = 0151
| os_grid_reference        = SJ494912
| static_image_name        = St Bartholomew's Church, Rainhill.JPG
| static_image_caption     = St Bartholomew's Church, Rainhill
| london_distance          = {{convert|173|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} [[Boxing the compass|SE]]
| website                  = [http://rainhillparish.org.uk http://rainhillparish.org.uk]
}}
'''Rainhill''' is a village and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in the [[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens]], [[Merseyside]], [[England]].<ref name="Conservation">{{Cite web|url=https://sthelens.gov.uk/media/3080/rainhill-conservation-areas-management-plan/pdf/rainhill-conservation-areas-management-plan.pdf|publisher=sthelens.gov.uk|author=St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council|access-date=7 October 2022|title=Rainhill I, II & III Conservation Area Management Plan}}</ref><ref name="Rainhill Parish Council">{{cite web | title=Rainhill History – Rainhill Parish Council | website=Rainhill Parish Council – Serving Rainhill Community Since 1894 | url=https://rainhillparish.org.uk/rainhill-history/ | access-date=2022-10-07}}</ref><ref name="Curran 2022">{{cite web | last=Curran | first=Aaron | title=Most beautiful villages in and around St Helens | website=Liverpool Echo | date=2022-02-13 | url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/most-beautiful-villages-around-st-23050531 | access-date=2022-10-07}}</ref> The population at the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] was 10,853.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127803&c=Rainhill&d=16&e=62&g=6351113&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1452695232204&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=13 January 2016|archive-date=11 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011032957/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127803&c=Rainhill&d=16&e=62&g=6351113&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1452695232204&enc=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Historically part of [[Lancashire]], Rainhill was a [[Township (England)|township]] in the ecclesiastical parish of [[Prescot]] and [[West Derby Hundred|hundred of West Derby]]. Following the [[Local Government Act 1894]], it became part of the [[Whiston Rural District]].

The [[Rainhill Trials]] of 1829 resulted in the selection of [[Stephenson's Rocket|Stephenson's ''Rocket'']] as the world's first modern [[steam locomotive]].<ref name="Rainhill Trials">{{cite web |url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RArainhill.htm |title=Rainhill Trials|work=Spartacus Educational|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103125924/http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RArainhill.htm|archive-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>

==History==

===Early history===
Rainhill has been recorded since Norman times but its name is believed to come from the Old English personal name of Regna or Regan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/media/86272/dp010.pdf|publisher=St Helens Council|title=Rainhill Conservation Area Proposal|access-date=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115851/http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/media/86272/dp010.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It is thought that around the time of the [[Domesday Book]] Rainhill was a part of one of the townships within the "Widnes fee".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41346|title=Townships: Sutton|work=British History Online|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref> Recordings have shown that in the year 1246, Roger of Rainhill died and the township was divided into two halves for each of his daughters. One half was centred on the now-standing Rainhill Manor public house, see Rainhill Stoops below, and the other centred on Rainhill Hall, just off Blundell's Lane.<ref name="TR-BHO">{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41348|title=Townships: Rainhill|work=British History Online|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref>

===Industrial Revolution===
Towards the end of the 18th century, four Catholic sons of a farmer, who came from the area around [[Stonyhurst]], decided to seek their fortunes in Liverpool. The names of the brothers were Joseph, Francis, Peter and Bartholomew Bretherton. In 1800, Bartholomew decided to break into the coaching business. The partnership that he had with one or two of his brothers quickly built up and by 1820, he had the bulk of the coaching trade of Liverpool. He was running coaches to and from Manchester fourteen times a day from the Saracen's Head in Dale Street, Liverpool. Bartholomew chose Rainhill as his first stage and he developed facilities on the land alongside the Ship Inn (originally the New Inn by Henry Parr 1780) and on this site, he was believed to be stabling at least 240 horses, coach horses, and farriers, coachbuilders and veterinaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/website/openfile.htm?id=3050|title=Rainhill I, II & III Conservation Area Appraisal|year=2008|work=St Helens Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724163634/http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/website/openfile.htm?id=3050|archive-date=24 July 2011}}</ref>

Bartholomew had begun to purchase land in Rainhill, and in 1824, he bought the Manor of Rainhill from Dr James Gerrard of Liverpool. By 1830, he owned over {{convert|260|acre|km2}} around Rainhill. In 1824, across the road from the stables, he built Rainhill House and laid out beautiful gardens around it. Between 1923 and 2014 the house was known as [[Rainhill Hall]], serving as a retreat centre run by the [[Jesuits|Society of Jesus]].<ref name="TR-BHO" /> Since 2017 it has reverted to Rainhill Hall and is a wedding venue.{{Citation needed|reason=Previous citation was dead|date=October 2024}}

During the [[Victorian era]], Rainhill was the location of a notorious mass murderer; [[Frederick Bailey Deeming]]. In March 1892, the bodies of a woman and her four children were discovered buried under the concrete floor of Dinham Villa, Lawton Road, Rainhill.<ref name=ADB>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/deeming-frederick-bailey-5940 |title=Deeming, Frederick Bailey (1853–1892)|first=Barry O.|last=Jones  |chapter=Frederick Bailey Deeming (1853–1892) |work=[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]], Volume 8 |publisher=[[Melbourne University Press|MUP]] |year=1981 |pages=268–269|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Stephenson's Rocket.jpg|thumb|The preserved ''Rocket'']]
Rainhill was the site of the 1829 [[Rainhill trials]], in which several railway locomotives were entered in a competition to decide a suitable design for use on the new [[Liverpool and Manchester Railway]]. The winner was the [[Stephenson's Rocket|Rocket]] designed by [[George Stephenson]]. In 1979 the 150th anniversary of the trials was celebrated by a cavalcade of trains through the ages, including replicas of the winner and runner-up in the trials.<ref name="Rainhill Trials"/>

==Geography==
The village of Rainhill lies {{convert|1.5|mi|km|1}} east of [[Prescot]], {{convert|2.9|mi|km|1}} south-southwest of [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], {{convert|3.7|mi|km|1}} east-northeast of [[Huyton]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=53.41566,-2.76253&z=12&t=M&marker0=53.41566,-2.76253,Rainhill|title = ACME Mapper 2.2}}</ref> and {{convert|9.3|mi|km|0}} east of [[Liverpool city centre|Liverpool City Centre]].

{{NSEW|[[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]]|[[Cronton]], [[Widnes]]|[[Sutton, Merseyside|Sutton]], [[Bold, Merseyside|Bold]]| [[Whiston, Merseyside|Whiston]], [[Huyton]], Liverpool|||||}}

===Rainhill Stoops===
The most southerly area of Rainhill is known as Rainhill Stoops.<ref>{{cite web|title='Townships: Rainhill', in A History of the County of Lancaster|volume =3|location=London|year= 1907|pages= 368–371|publisher= British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp368-371 |access-date= 4 May 2024}}</ref>

The name of junction 7 of the [[M62 motorway]] and the A570 is known as "Rainhill Stoops".

Warrington Road was a prominent road as a route between the larger settlements of Liverpool, Prescot and Warrington with Rainhill on the route. The stoops (a historic marker, waypost or similar guide) existed along the road at key positions.

With the establishment in 1753 of the Liverpool to Prescot turnpike,<ref name=turnpike>{{cite web|url=http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.123&chapterId=822|title=Turnpike roads|work=E. Chambré Hardman Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023212033/http://www.mersey-gateway.org/server.php?show=ConNarrative.123&chapterId=822|archive-date=23 October 2007}}</ref> and its subsequent extension to Rainhill and then on to Warrington, a system of toll bars was installed with one such barrier at the stoops.

==Landmarks==
{{main article|Listed buildings in Rainhill}}
[[File:Rainhill Bridge, from Bury's Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 1831 - artfinder 3408.jpg|thumb|right|Skew Bridge. Coloured engraving from 1831]]
[[File:Stephensonbridge1.jpg|thumb|Skew Bridge as seen today.]]
Rainhill has several churches including St Ann's, [[St Bartholomew's Church, Rainhill|St Bartholomew's]] and St James' – which are [[Church of England]], [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Methodism|Methodist]], respectively. There is also an evangelical church. St Ann's well, a medieval stone-lined structure is on the border with Sutton.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ancientmonuments.uk/117650-st-annes-well-rainhill |title=St Anne's Well A Scheduled Monument in Rainhill, St. Helens |publisher=ancientmonuments.uk }}</ref>

A feature of the village is the [[George Stephenson]] [[George Stephenson#Stephenson's skew arch bridge|Skew Bridge]], a [[skew arch]] bridge of sandstone construction that carries the main road over the railway. It takes its name from the unusual diagonal angle at which the railway passes under the bridge. It is the world's first bridge to cross over a railway at an angle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rainhillparish.org.uk/rhistory.htm |title=Railway History |publisher=Rainhill Parish Council |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825145228/http://rainhillparish.org.uk/rhistory.htm|archive-date=25 August 2011}}</ref> The bridge was later widened to accommodate increases in road traffic. The milestone on the bridge that informs travellers of the distances to Warrington, Prescot and Liverpool was moved to the opposite side at the time of the expansion. Therefore, the distance markers pointed to the wrong destinations. This quirk was corrected in 2005 when the milestone was returned to the correct side of the bridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f5ced4ef-09ab-4b77-acb7-be3744167852|title=Skew-Whiff|work=Geocaching|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref>

==Economy==
Rainhill is now primarily a commuter village, mainly for workers in [[Liverpool]] but also [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]] and [[Widnes]]. Housing on the southerly side of Rainhill is a mixture of semi-detached and detached dwellings, whereas homes to the north, across the Skew Bridge there is a more varied mixture of housing with examples of terraced with semi-detached as well as bungalows. Rainhill as a whole has a mixture of modern, inter-war and Victorian dwellings.

Rainhill has several medical centres but the largest and most notable is [[Scott Clinic]] which once treated [[Michael Abram]] after he was convicted of stabbing [[The Beatles|Beatles]] member [[George Harrison]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2096082.stm |title=Freed Beatle's attacker sorry |publisher=BBC News  | date=5 July 2002 | access-date=4 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/services/clinical/mfps/Scott_Clinic.asp |title=Scott Clinic – Medium Secure Unit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929105010/http://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/services/clinical/mfps/Scott_Clinic.asp|archive-date=29 September 2009}}</ref> Rainhill was also home to [[Rainhill Hospital]] at one time the largest mental health asylum in the world;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=629&page=47|title= 	Details: Rainhill Hospital, Prescot|work=The national Archives|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref> which, in December 1911, housed 1,990 patients.<ref name="Rainhill Asylum">{{cite web|url=http://www.institutions.org.uk/asylums/england/LAN/rainhill_asylum.htm|title=Rainhill Asylum |publisher=Institutions.org.uk|access-date=3 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143358/http://www.institutions.org.uk/asylums/england/LAN/rainhill_asylum.htm|archive-date=13 April 2014}}</ref> This was demolished in 1991.<ref name="Rainhill Asylum" /> Its former site is now a housing estate as well as accommodating Reeve Court, an extra-care housing project for older people.

==Transport==
[[Rainhill railway station]] is situated on the [[City Line (Merseyrail)|Liverpool City Line]], between the railway stations of [[Whiston railway station|Whiston]] and [[Lea Green railway station|Lea Green]].

Regular buses are serving the area notably the 10A bus route which runs from Queen's Square in Liverpool city centre via [[Kensington, Liverpool|Kensington]], [[Page Moss]], [[Huyton]] and Rainhill to St Helens. The 61 bus route runs from [[Liverpool One|Liverpool One bus station]] via [[Wavertree]] and Rainhill to [[Widnes]]' town centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letstravelwise.org/files/829273380_(N)%20How%20to%20get%20to%20Royal%20Liverpool%20University%20Hospital.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004202554/http://www.letstravelwise.org/files/829273380_(N)%20How%20to%20get%20to%20Royal%20Liverpool%20University%20Hospital.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 October 2011|title=How to get to Royal Liverpool University Hospital|work=Travelwise|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref>

All public transport in Rainhill is coordinated by the [[Merseyside]] county passenger transport executive [[Merseytravel]].

==Education==
[[File:Tower College, Rainhill.jpg|thumb|right|Tower College]]
There are several primary schools in Rainhill: Oakdene, Longton Lane, St Ann's and St Bartholomew's. Secondary education is provided by [[Rainhill High School]] which caters for students aged 11–18. Rainhill High School has a Sixth Form Centre offering A-levels and Level 3 vocational qualifications. Part of the Stephenson Trust, Rainhill High School and Sixth Form Centre is the lead academy in the trust. [[Tower College]] is also situated in Rainhill and is a private independent school which provides education for children aged 3–16.

==Sports==

Rainhill is home to several sporting clubs including Rainhill Town AFC, Rainhill Cricket Club, Rainhill Rockets, Rainhill United JFC and Blundell's Hill Golf Club as well as Sanshou uk Merseyside based at forge fitness rainhill. [[Mohammed Ashraful]], the [[Bangladesh national cricket team]] captain made several appearances for Rainhill Cricket Club in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisisst-helens.co.uk/st_helens/cricket/ |title=CRICKET: Mohammed Ashraful at Rainhill |publisher=St Helens Star |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817103412/http://www.thisisst-helens.co.uk/st_helens/cricket/ |archive-date=17 August 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==People and culture==
Rainhill is a suburban area with households mainly of families and the elderly.

Crime in Rainhill had a 3.6% decrease in total recorded crime from 2010 to 2011 however there was a 33% rise in vehicle theft, a 9% increase in drug offences and a 3% growth in criminal damage and arson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://safer.sthelens.gov.uk/site.do?id=952 |title=Rainhill|work=Safer! St Helens|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724142449/http://safer.sthelens.gov.uk/site.do?id=952|archive-date=24 July 2011}}</ref>

Former Beatles guitarist and famous Liverpudlian [[George Harrison]] makes a jokey reference to Rainhill in a lyric in the title song from his 1982 LP [[Gone Troppo]].

"Quite like, you ain't seen a sunset. Could be, living in Rainhill" - Gone Troppo (1982).

The reference contrasts Harrison’s good fortune at spending part of his time living in tropical parts of the globe like Hawaii and the Solomon Islands with his Merseyside roots.

==Notable people==
*[[Melanie C]] (also known as ''Sporty Spice'') from the [[Spice Girls]] was brought up in Rainhill before moving to [[Widnes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portalmelaniec.com/melaniec/faq/faq_english.php|title=FAQ|work=Portal Melanie C|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220090700/http://www.portalmelaniec.com/melaniec/faq/faq_english.php|archive-date=20 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="whoiam10">{{cite book |last1=C |first1=Melanie |title=Who I Am: My Story |date=2023 |publisher=Welbeck |location=London, U.K. |isbn=9781802793383 |page=10|quote=Sometimes I look at those pictures when I want to remind myself what I looked like when I was truly safe, secure, and happy. When I was Melanie Chisholm, three and a half years old, who lived with her mum and dad at 13 Kendal Drive, Rainhill, Merseyside.}}</ref>
*[[Frank Cottrell-Boyce]], screenwriter and novelist, was brought up in Rainhill.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.booksforkeeps.co.uk/issues/170/28160|title=Authorgraph No.170 – Frank Cottrell Boyce|work=Books for Keeps|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321162954/http://www.booksforkeeps.co.uk/issues/170/28160|archive-date=21 March 2009}}</ref>
*[[David Yates]], film and television director, was brought up in Rainhill.<ref name="DavidYatesEarlyLifeBAFTA">{{Cite news|url=http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/8850608.Yates_enjoys_Harry_Potter_BAFTA_honour/ |title=St Helens-born David Yates enjoys Harry Potter BAFTA honour |work=St Helens Star |date= 13 February 2011|access-date=11 March 2011}}</ref>
*[[Ian Nolan]], former [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.]] footballer, lives in Rainhill. 
*[[Les Dennis]], a television presenter, lived in Rainhill.
*[[Steve Coppell]], ex-[[Manchester United F.C.]] winger and ex-[[Reading F.C.]] manager, was brought up and lived in Rainhill.
*[[Sue Smith (footballer)|Sue Smith]], an international women's footballer, was a pupil at [[Rainhill High School]] and lives in Rainhill.
*Jenny Welsby, an England women's international rugby league player, was brought up and lived in Rainhill.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rlef.eu.com/news.php?id=1095|title=England storm to victory in Toulouse|date=21 July 2009|work=Rugby League European Federation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228094314/http://www.rlef.eu.com/news.php?id=1095|archive-date=28 December 2009}}</ref>
*[[Alan A'Court]] is an English footballer who mostly played for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]].
*Cliff Hall of [[The Spinners (English band)|The Spinners]] lived in Rainhill.
*[[Raheem Sterling]], footballer for [[Chelsea F.C.]] and [[England National Football Team|England]], attended Rainhill High School.
*[[Andre Wisdom]], footballer from [[Derby County F.C.]], lives in Rainhill.
*[[Jordon Ibe]], a footballer for [[AFC Bournemouth]], attended Rainhill High School.
*[[Willy Russell]], playwright, was born in Whiston Hospital and lived in Rainhill as a child.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/playwright-willy-russells-knowsley-roots-10265620|title=Willy Russell's Knowsley roots|date=15 October 2015}}</ref>
*[[Trent Alexander-Arnold]], footballer for Liverpool and England, attended Rainhill High School.
*[[Ben Woodburn]], a Welsh footballer attended Rainhill High School.

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Rainhill}}
{{Areas of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens}}
{{merseyside}}

[[Category:Towns and villages in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Merseyside]]