West Rainton
Encyclopedia
West Rainton is a village
and civil parish
in County Durham
, England
. It is situated between Durham
and Houghton-le-Spring
. Leamside
is about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to the west. The village straddles a ridge parallel to the A690
with extensive views to the west.
from Lindisfarne
to Durham. Spellings of this name Reingwald have included Reynington, Reynoton, Reynton, and Rayntona.
The area belonging to the Prior and convent of Durham and was densely wooded, a park keeper being recorded as appointed in 1338.
In 1657 Richard Marshall assigned a tenement and farm holding in West Rainton to Marmaduke Allenson. It then passed into the hands of West Rainton’s more famous son – Sir John Duck, Baronet – a Dick Whittington of the North East of England. He owned and built Rainton Hall around the year 1688.
The following is from 'History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894; "The village of West Rainton is about four miles north-east of Durham, and formerly contained an ancient chapel with chantry dedicated to the Virgin Mary; some of the old stones may be seen in the different buildings in the village. The Old Hall, situated in the centre of the village, was built about 1690, by Sir Jno. Buck, now in a state of dilapidation, and let in tenements occupied by pitmen. There is a library, reading, and news-room here. There are two batteries of the Second Durham Artillery Volunteers, having a drill-hall here, built by the Marquess of Londonderry in 1880, the headquarters being at Seaham Harbour.
in memory of his daughter Elizabeth. A large granite tablet was used to record this donation and was of special interest being taken from the great pyramid of Ghizeh in Egypt with the permission of the Khedive
at that time. The church is a substantial building able to seat 500 worshippers. Previously an ancient chapel stood near.
in the area is mentioned as early as the 12th century. In Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham some 1185 men and boys were employed in the Adventure, Alexandrina and Meadow pits sunk between 1817 and 1824. The coals produced were Londonderry Wallsend, Pittington Wallsend, and Londonderry Primrose, for household purposes, and the Hartley for steam purposes. The "Adventure" pit employed 389 people at its peak in 1940. Much of the newer housing in the village dates from the 1950s and was built to house the workforce for the pit as there was little other employment available locally. Although no "disasters", (i.e. pit accidents resulting in five or more deaths) were reported at Adventure, 23 lost their lives there.. The pit was closed in 1978.
Nearby, the Leamside line railway, now disused, is still in place.
sacked by Henry VIII
during the dissolution of the Monasteries
.
To the south, in a wooded area is an area owned by the Moor House scouts group. It is a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) site providing accommodation and adventure challenges and sleeps up to 38 youngsters.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in County 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated between Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and Houghton-le-Spring
Houghton-le-Spring
Houghton-le-Spring is part of the City of Sunderland in the county of Tyne and Wear, North East England that has its recorded origins in Norman times. It is situated almost equidistant between the cathedral city of Durham 7 miles to the south-west and the centre of the City of Sunderland about 6...
. Leamside
Leamside
Leamside is a small village close to the city of Durham, County Durham, in England. It is situated to the west of West Rainton. It is part of the civil parish of West Rainton....
is about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) to the west. The village straddles a ridge parallel to the A690
A690 road
The A690 is a road in County Durham running from Sunderland in the east through Durham to Crook.-Sunderland section:Throughout the Sunderland section it is known as either Durham Road or New Durham Road, and is one of the major routes in and out of the city. A single carriageway section runs from...
with extensive views to the west.
History
The naming of the township was for one of the seven monks who followed the body of St. CuthbertCuthbert of Lindisfarne
Saint Cuthbert was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, at that time including, in modern terms, northern England as well as south-eastern Scotland as far as the Firth of Forth...
from Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
to Durham. Spellings of this name Reingwald have included Reynington, Reynoton, Reynton, and Rayntona.
The area belonging to the Prior and convent of Durham and was densely wooded, a park keeper being recorded as appointed in 1338.
In 1657 Richard Marshall assigned a tenement and farm holding in West Rainton to Marmaduke Allenson. It then passed into the hands of West Rainton’s more famous son – Sir John Duck, Baronet – a Dick Whittington of the North East of England. He owned and built Rainton Hall around the year 1688.
The following is from 'History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894; "The village of West Rainton is about four miles north-east of Durham, and formerly contained an ancient chapel with chantry dedicated to the Virgin Mary; some of the old stones may be seen in the different buildings in the village. The Old Hall, situated in the centre of the village, was built about 1690, by Sir Jno. Buck, now in a state of dilapidation, and let in tenements occupied by pitmen. There is a library, reading, and news-room here. There are two batteries of the Second Durham Artillery Volunteers, having a drill-hall here, built by the Marquess of Londonderry in 1880, the headquarters being at Seaham Harbour.
St. Mary's Church
Saint Mary's church built 1864 has a 130 feet (39.6 m) spire added in 1877 that is a prominent feature of the area visible for many miles. The spire was gifted by Sir George ElliotSir George Elliot, 1st Baronet
Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet, JP was a self-made businessman from Gateshead in the North-East of England. A colliery labourer who went on to own several coal mines, he later bought a wire rope manufacturing company which manufactured the first Transatlantic telegraph cable...
in memory of his daughter Elizabeth. A large granite tablet was used to record this donation and was of special interest being taken from the great pyramid of Ghizeh in Egypt with the permission of the Khedive
Khedive
The term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
at that time. The church is a substantial building able to seat 500 worshippers. Previously an ancient chapel stood near.
Coal mining
Coal miningCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in the area is mentioned as early as the 12th century. In Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham some 1185 men and boys were employed in the Adventure, Alexandrina and Meadow pits sunk between 1817 and 1824. The coals produced were Londonderry Wallsend, Pittington Wallsend, and Londonderry Primrose, for household purposes, and the Hartley for steam purposes. The "Adventure" pit employed 389 people at its peak in 1940. Much of the newer housing in the village dates from the 1950s and was built to house the workforce for the pit as there was little other employment available locally. Although no "disasters", (i.e. pit accidents resulting in five or more deaths) were reported at Adventure, 23 lost their lives there.. The pit was closed in 1978.
Nearby, the Leamside line railway, now disused, is still in place.
Local facilities
A mile to the west can be found the remains of Finchale PrioryFinchale Priory
Finchale Priory was a 13th century Benedictine priory. The remains are sited by the River Wear, four miles from Durham. It is a Grade I listed building.-Current Situation:...
sacked by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
during the dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
To the south, in a wooded area is an area owned by the Moor House scouts group. It is a 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) site providing accommodation and adventure challenges and sleeps up to 38 youngsters.