East Rainton

Coordinates: 54°49′18″N 1°28′52″W / 54.821777°N 1.481167°W / 54.821777; -1.481167

East Rainton is a humble village found in the outskirts of Durham, in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in the north east of England. It is situated alongside the A690 road between Sunderland and Durham, near Houghton-le-Spring.

The village is home to East Rainton cricket club, which was founded before 1851 and which has seen many successes throughout its long history. The 2nd XI are current North East Durham League champions. The village also boasts a football team in the form of East Rainton FC, who are the second team from this village to bear the name.

The village has one pub in the form of The Olde Ships Inn (Travellers Rest) which serves a range of beers and lagers in a traditional setting. This is only one of the four original pubs, these being the Travellers Rest, the Rose and Crown, the Blacksmiths Arms and the Village Tavern. The pubs original name was the 'Traveller's Rest' The name came from the fact that there was a staging post on the Durham to Sunderland coaching road (the old Durham road) which passes through the village.

Rainton

Coordinates: 54°10′16″N 1°26′04″W / 54.17098°N 1.43453°W / 54.17098; -1.43453

Rainton is a village in the Harrogate borough of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated about 6 miles north of Boroughbridge, 5 miles north-east of Ripon and 5 miles south-west of Thirsk. It is a picturesque village with a village green and a maypole. There are approximately 120 houses in Rainton including six listed buildings- several period farm houses, a smithy and a dovecote. The local vernacular building style is sandstone and cobble construction with slate or pantile roof. It is a tranquil North Yorkshire village where life revolves around the many activities at the village hall and the two village pubs.

Rainton was a largely agricultural village but since 2000 it has become a more fashionable commuter village, largely due to its close proximity to the A1 road. This in turn has led to a steep increase in property prices which is evidenced by the large number of barn conversions and property renovations. Despite becoming more commuter orientated, Rainton has a strong community spirit, holding Christmas parties for local children, lunches for the retired folk, and a host of other social events including a gardening club.