Rainford is a village in North West England, five miles north of the town of St Helens in Merseyside. Lately managed by an independent Urban District Council, it has a population of approx. 8. It now forms a Civil Parish and ward within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. No-one really knows how old Rainford is, but the name of the village is in the Domesday book, thus making Rainford older than the important maritime city of Liverpool. It is known as the largest village in Merseyside. North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... St Helens is a Metropolitan Borough in Merseyside, North West England. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ...

History and transport

Rainford lies in the fertile South Lancashire agricultural plain and is effectively an 'urban island' surrounded by large scale farming, mainly arable, but with some livestock herds.

It is well known for its industrial past when it was a major manufacturer of clay smoking pipes. The nearby coal mines became worked out and closed pre World War Two. It was also a location for sand mining, for use in the glass factories of St Helens. This article is about the material. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ...

It sits alongside the A570 (Rainford Bypass), a dual carriageway constructed in the late 1930's, which connects at one end to the East Lancashire Road and, at the other end, the M58 motorway. This results in excellent road links, and the village is therefore mainly inhabited by people who commute to the nearby cities of Liverpool and Manchester, and to St Helens. The A570 is a primary route in northern England, that runs from St Helens to Southport. ... The A580, the Liverpool-East Lancashire Road (abbreviated to East Lancs Road) was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for East Lancashire and Manchester. ... The M58 motorway is a motorway in England. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

Rainford's one remaining railway station is at Rainford Junction. This is on the Kirkby - Wigan line. Passengers wishing to travel to Liverpool must change at Kirkby onto the Merseyrail electrified line. Rainford Junction is a small village in St Helens Merseyside that has grown up around Rainford railway station and the former Junction of Liverpool and Bury Railway Skelmersdale Branch and St. ... Arms of the former Kirkby Urban District Council Kirkby (pronounced - the second k is silent) is a new town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. ... , Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. ... Merseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter train network centred on Liverpool. ...

Culture and recreation

Rainford has many noted public houses, including the Bottle And Glass, Star Inn, Derby Arms, Golden Lion (reported to be haunted and features in numerous paranormal books)^{[citation needed]}, Eagle And Child and The Bridge Inn. It is also home to the George Wright Brewery.

Rainford's Silver Band is highly regarded, and has won many contests. A 'walking day' takes place every year in June and a fairground is set up behind the Golden Lion public house, in which the Silver Band participate.[1]. A well-supported Rainford Show is held each year in early September in the old Rainford Urban District Council offices, with competitive classes for handicrafts, flowers, vegetables, art, photography etc. Ferris wheel Amusement park is the more generic term for a collection of amusement rides and other entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a fairly large group of people. ... Look up show in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

There is currently a golf-course under construction alongside the A570 dual carriageway. It is known that the golf course will contain 27 holes, a golf academy, restaurant and conference centre.[2]

Rainford also has its own cricket and tennis club, both based behind the Golden Lion Pub.

Education

Rainford is also noted for its schools. It currently has three primary schools and a secondary school with a large sixth form. The primary schools are Rainford Brook Lodge County Primary School, Rainford C of E Primary School and Rainford Corpus Christi Primary School. The high school and sixth form operate jointly as Rainford High Technology College, and serve to educate students not just from Rainford, but from throughout St. Helens and beyond. The Church of England logo since 1998 The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The Blessed Sacrament is displayed in a procession at the 2005 Southeastern Eucharistic Congress. ...

External links

General

• Rainford Village Community Website
• Rainford Parish Council

Schools

• Rainford Brook Lodge County Primary School
• Rainford C of E Primary School
• Rainford Corpus Christi Primary School
• Rainford High Technology College

Other relevant sites

• Rainford Silver Band
• Ormskirk Skelmersdale Rainford Railway
• George Wright Brewery
• Rainford Golf Club