Rainhill
Encyclopedia
Rainhill is a large village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens
, in Merseyside
, England
.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, Rainhill was formerly a township
within the ecclesiastical parish of Prescot, and hundred of West Derby
. Following the Local Government Act 1894
, it became part of the Whiston Rural District
.
Rainhill is most famous for being the location of a pioneering competition to decide a suitable design for use on the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway
, the world's first inter-city passenger railway which was routed through the village. The Rainhill Trials
of 1829 resulted in the selection of Stephenson's Rocket
as the world's first "modern" steam locomotive
.
that Rainhill was a part of one of the townships within the "Widnes fee".http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41346 Recordings have shown that in the year of 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.
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 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, farriers, coach builders and veterinaries.
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 260 acres (1.1 km²) around Rainhill. In 1824, across the road from the stables, he built Rainhill House and laid out beautiful gardens around it. Today, this house is known as Loyola Hall, and has served as a retreat run by the Society of Jesus
since 1923.
Rainhill was the site of the 1829 Rainhill Trials
, in which a number of 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 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.
, 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.
The series of events that led to this gruesome discovery began with a marriage in St. Ann's Church, Rainhill. Miss Emily Mather married Frederick Bailey Deeming
, who called himself Albert Williams and posed as an officer in the Army. The couple emigrated to Melbourne
, Australia
, where Deeming murdered his wife and buried her under the floor of their kitchen. Victoria police
contacted Scotland Yard, who, as a result of information passed onto them, made a search of Dinham Villa, home of Deeming's supposed sister and her four children. Marie Deeming, however, was his first wife. Her throat had been cut, as had the throats of three of the children. The fourth was strangled.
Deeming was convicted of the murder of Emily Mather and hanged in Melbourne, Australia. After being up for sale and later set on fire, Dinham Villa in Rainhill was eventually demolished in the late 90s early 2000s. Small bungalows are now in place of it. The Rainhill victims were interred in the graveyard of St. Ann's Church. The headstone marking their grave was stolen and the grave has since remained unmarked.
The village of Rainhill lies 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Prescot
, 2.9 miles (4.7 km) south-southwest of St Helens
, 3.7 miles (6 km) east-northeast of Huyton
and 9.3 miles (15 km) east of Liverpool
city centre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M62_motorway&oldid=308134018 and the A570 is known as "Rainhill Stoops".
Rainhill Stoops takes its name from the fact that the road was a toll road. People on foot need not pay if they could stoop under the barrier. The barrier was at the junction of School Lane and Warrington Road. If a person on foot was unable to stoop under the barrier, if he had a load on his back he had to pay one old penny to the toll man. A man on horseback cost 2d. A horse/mule train could cost up to one shilling, yet a stagecoach would only cost 6d. The monies raised were to pay for the road between the two toll gate in Rainhill. The Stoops being one and the other at the Holt.
Rainhill has several churches including: St Ann's, St Bartholomew's and St James' – which are Church of England, Roman Catholic and Methodist, respectively. There is also an evangelical church.
A feature of the village is the George Stephenson
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 go over a railway at an angle. 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.
but also 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 late Beatles
member George Harrison
. Rainhill was also home to what was at one time the largest mental health asylum in the worldhttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=629&page=47; which, in December 1911, housed 1,990 patients. This was demolished in 1991. Its former site is now a housing estate as well as accommodating Reeve Court, an extra-care housing project for older people.
is situated on the Liverpool City Line
, between the stations of Whiston
and Lea Green
.
There are regular buses serving the area notably the 10A bus route which runs from Queen's Square in Liverpool city centre via Kensington
, Page Moss
, Huyton and Rainhill to St. Helens. The 61 bus route runs from Liverpool ONE bus station via Wavertree
and Rainhill to Widnes town centre.
All public transport in Rainhill is co-ordinated by the Merseyside
county passenger transport executive, Merseytravel
.
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 is the local comprehensive. Tower College is also situated in Rainhill and is a private independent school which provides education for children aged 3-16.
is prominent in the area. It traces its roots back to the 1950's slum clearance which brought a migration of the Liverpool inner-city populace to the historically Lancastrian accented Rainhill, Prescot and Whiston districts.
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.
The centre of Rainhill now supports a number of restaurants including Kozi which specialises in modern British cuisine, The Blue Mango for Indian cuisine and Galleria which produces Italian dishes doubling as an art gallery. The area is primarily residential although a few industrial estate roads exist.
Metropolitan Borough of St Helens
The Metropolitan Borough of St Helens is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It is named after its largest town St Helens, and covers an area which includes the settlements of Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Haydock, Rainhill, Eccleston, Clock Face, Billinge and...
, in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, 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...
.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Rainhill was formerly a township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
within the ecclesiastical parish of Prescot, and hundred of West Derby
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
. Following the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, it became part of the Whiston Rural District
Whiston Rural District
Whiston Rural District was a rural district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1895 by renaming the Prescot Rural District when the parish of Prescot was removed from that rural district and created a separate urban district. Later the parish of Speke was...
.
Rainhill is most famous for being the location of a pioneering competition to decide a suitable design for use on the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
, the world's first inter-city passenger railway which was routed through the village. The Rainhill Trials
Rainhill Trials
The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways, run in October 1829 in Rainhill, Lancashire for the nearly completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway....
of 1829 resulted in the selection of Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829.- Design innovations :...
as the world's first "modern" steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
.
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. It is thought that around the time of the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
that Rainhill was a part of one of the townships within the "Widnes fee".http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41346 Recordings have shown that in the year of 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.
Towards the end of the 18th century, four Catholic sons of a farmer, who came from the area around Stonyhurst
Stonyhurst
Stonyhurst is the name of a rural estate owned by the Society of Jesus near Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It is dominated by Stonyhurst College, its preparatory school Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall and the parish Church of St Peter's.-The Estate:...
, 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 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, farriers, coach builders and veterinaries.
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 260 acres (1.1 km²) around Rainhill. In 1824, across the road from the stables, he built Rainhill House and laid out beautiful gardens around it. Today, this house is known as Loyola Hall, and has served as a retreat run by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
since 1923.
Industrial Revolution
Rainhill Trials
The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways, run in October 1829 in Rainhill, Lancashire for the nearly completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway....
, in which a number of railway locomotives were entered in a competition to decide a suitable design for use on the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
. The winner was The Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket
Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Forth Street Works of Robert Stephenson and Company in 1829.- Design innovations :...
, designed by George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
. 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.
Victorian era
During the Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, Rainhill was the location of a notorious mass murderer; Frederick Bailey Deeming
Frederick Bailey Deeming
Frederick Bailey Deeming was an English-born Australian gasfitter and murderer.Deeming was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England, son of Thomas Deeming, brazier, and his wife Ann, née Bailey. He was a "difficult child" according to writers Maurice Gurvich and Christopher Wray...
. 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.
The series of events that led to this gruesome discovery began with a marriage in St. Ann's Church, Rainhill. Miss Emily Mather married Frederick Bailey Deeming
Frederick Bailey Deeming
Frederick Bailey Deeming was an English-born Australian gasfitter and murderer.Deeming was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England, son of Thomas Deeming, brazier, and his wife Ann, née Bailey. He was a "difficult child" according to writers Maurice Gurvich and Christopher Wray...
, who called himself Albert Williams and posed as an officer in the Army. The couple emigrated to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where Deeming murdered his wife and buried her under the floor of their kitchen. Victoria police
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
contacted Scotland Yard, who, as a result of information passed onto them, made a search of Dinham Villa, home of Deeming's supposed sister and her four children. Marie Deeming, however, was his first wife. Her throat had been cut, as had the throats of three of the children. The fourth was strangled.
Deeming was convicted of the murder of Emily Mather and hanged in Melbourne, Australia. After being up for sale and later set on fire, Dinham Villa in Rainhill was eventually demolished in the late 90s early 2000s. Small bungalows are now in place of it. The Rainhill victims were interred in the graveyard of St. Ann's Church. The headstone marking their grave was stolen and the grave has since remained unmarked.
Geography
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...
, 2.9 miles (4.7 km) south-southwest of St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, 3.7 miles (6 km) east-northeast of Huyton
Huyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
and 9.3 miles (15 km) east of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
city centre.
Rainhill Stoops
The most southerly area of Rainhill was originally known as Rainhill Stoops http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41348&strquery=de%20lancaster, and is still known as the "stoops" to this day. The name of junction 7 of the M62 motorwayM62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M62_motorway&oldid=308134018 and the A570 is known as "Rainhill Stoops".
Rainhill Stoops takes its name from the fact that the road was a toll road. People on foot need not pay if they could stoop under the barrier. The barrier was at the junction of School Lane and Warrington Road. If a person on foot was unable to stoop under the barrier, if he had a load on his back he had to pay one old penny to the toll man. A man on horseback cost 2d. A horse/mule train could cost up to one shilling, yet a stagecoach would only cost 6d. The monies raised were to pay for the road between the two toll gate in Rainhill. The Stoops being one and the other at the Holt.
Landmarks
A feature of the village is the George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
Skew Bridge, a skew arch
Skew arch
A skew arch is a method of construction that enables an arch bridge to span an obstacle at some angle other than a right angle. This results in the faces of the arch not being perpendicular to its abutments and its plan view being a parallelogram, rather than the rectangle that is the plan view of...
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 go over a railway at an angle. 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.
Economy
Rainhill is now primarily a commuter village, mainly for workers in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
but also St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
and Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
. 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
Scott Clinic
Scott Clinic is a medium secure psychiatric unit located in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. The unit was named after the late Dr. Peter Scott and provides facilities for up to 50 patients on 5 wards.-Notable Patients:...
which once treated Michael Abram after he was convicted of stabbing the late Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
member George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
. Rainhill was also home to what was at one time the largest mental health asylum in the worldhttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=629&page=47; which, in December 1911, housed 1,990 patients. This was demolished in 1991. 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 stationRainhill railway station
Rainhill railway station serves the district of Rainhill in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line, forming part of the Liverpool City Line. The original Liverpool and Manchester Railway which opened in 1830...
is situated on the Liverpool City Line
City Line (Merseyrail)
The City Line is the name given to local rail routes out of Liverpool Lime Street station, Liverpool, Merseyside. It appears on maps of the Merseyrail network as red, and covers the Liverpool-Wigan Line as well as the two routes of the Liverpool-Manchester Line...
, between the stations of Whiston
Whiston railway station
Whiston railway station serves the district of Whiston in Merseyside, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Northern Rail. It lies on the northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line, the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
and Lea Green
Lea Green railway station
Lea Green railway station is a railway station in St Helens, Merseyside, England, around three miles from the town centre near to the suburb of Clock Face. It is situated on the northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line . It is operated by Northern Rail...
.
There are regular buses serving the area notably the 10A bus route which runs from Queen's Square in Liverpool city centre via Kensington
Kensington, Liverpool
Kensington is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. It is located immediately to the east of Liverpool city centre, and is bordered by Everton to the north, Fairfield to the east and Edge Hill to the south....
, Page Moss
Page Moss
Page Moss is a suburb of Liverpool in the borough of Knowsley, Merseyside.On June 30, 2008 the neighbourhood was featured on the BBC TV documentary series Panorama, focusing upon the local youth gang culture, namely the "Moss Edz" and their feuds with adjoining areas, specifically Dovecot, whom...
, Huyton and Rainhill to St. Helens. The 61 bus route runs from Liverpool ONE bus station via Wavertree
Wavertree
Wavertree is an area of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England, and is a Liverpool City Council ward. It is bordered by a number of districts to the south and east of Liverpool city centre from Toxteth, Edge Hill, Fairfield, Old Swan, Childwall and Mossley Hill....
and Rainhill to Widnes town centre.
All public transport in Rainhill is co-ordinated by the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
county passenger transport executive, Merseytravel
Merseytravel
Merseytravel Merseytravel Merseytravel (MPTE, or Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
.
Education
Rainhill High School
Rainhill High School Media Arts College is a purpose built 11-18 comprehensive secondary school in Rainhill, Merseyside, England. The school is the official Liverpool F.C...
which is the local comprehensive. 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 and Rainhill United JFC. Mohammed Ashraful, the Bangladesh National Cricket Team captain made several appearances for the Club in 2006.People and culture
Rainhill is an area with households mainly of families and the elderly. The Liverpool scouse accentScouse
Scouse is an accent and dialect of English found primarily in the Metropolitan county of Merseyside, and closely associated with the city of Liverpool and the adjoining urban areas such as the boroughs of south Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral...
is prominent in the area. It traces its roots back to the 1950's slum clearance which brought a migration of the Liverpool inner-city populace to the historically Lancastrian accented Rainhill, Prescot and Whiston districts.
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.
The centre of Rainhill now supports a number of restaurants including Kozi which specialises in modern British cuisine, The Blue Mango for Indian cuisine and Galleria which produces Italian dishes doubling as an art gallery. The area is primarily residential although a few industrial estate roads exist.
Regeneration
In February 2008, the Warburton Hey council estate in Rainhill was demolished after being acquired by Helena Housing Partnerships. The late 1960s estate which comprised 167 properties including multi-story flats and terraced housing blocks was considered "no longer fit for purpose" as the declining condition of the estate led to serious levels of crime and deprivation. Helena Housing have since invested £17 million into regenerating a sustainable estate with newly developed properties for rent and shared ownership. Regeneration work started on the estate in April 2009 with the construction of 135 new properties. The new estate has been renamed Ratcliffe Park.Notable people
- Melanie C, also known as Sporty Spice from the world's most successful girl group of all time The Spice Girls, was brought up in Rainhill before moving to Widnes.
- Frank Cottrell BoyceFrank Cottrell Boyce-Awards:*2004: Buch des Monats des Instituts für Jugendliteratur/Book of the Month by the Institute for Youth Literature , Millions*2004: Carnegie Medal, Millions*2004: Luchs des Jahres , Millions...
was brought up in Rainhill. - David YatesDavid YatesDavid Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, a celebrated film and television director, was raised in Rainhill. - Ian NolanIan NolanIan Robert Nolan is an English-born Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a full back. During his career he won 17 caps for Northern Ireland, and made nearly 300 appearances in the Football League.-Career:...
, a former Tranmere Rovers footballer, lives in Rainhill. - Les DennisLes DennisLes Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
, a television presenter, lived in Rainhill. - Steve CoppellSteve CoppellStephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
, an ex-Manchester United winger and ex-Reading FC manager, was brought up and lived in Rainhill. - Sue SmithSue Smith (footballer)Susan Jane "Sue" Smith is an international footballer, currently playing for Lincoln Ladies and England. She is an experienced left-sided winger or forward.-Club career:...
, international women's footballer was a student at Rainhill High SchoolRainhill High SchoolRainhill High School Media Arts College is a purpose built 11-18 comprehensive secondary school in Rainhill, Merseyside, England. The school is the official Liverpool F.C...
and lives in Rainhill. - Jenny Welsby, an England Women's International Rugby League player, was brought up and lived in Rainhill.
- Alan A'CourtAlan A'CourtAlan A'Court was an English footballer who mostly played for Liverpool.- Life and playing career :Born in Rainhill, Lancashire, England, A'Court was a winger who started out at Prescot Cables as an amateur before he was signed by Reds manager Don Welsh...
, was an English footballer who mostly played for Liverpool.