cathedral
Durham Cathedral
UNESCO-listed Romanesque masterpiece perched above the River Wear, widely regarded as the finest Norman building in England.
8 km · about 15 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
East Rainton
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About East Rainton
East Rainton is worth a stop: 10 minutes from South Hetton, 48km from High Force Waterfall.
East Rainton is in England, United Kingdom, with about 1,200 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is South Hetton, about 6 km away.
East Rainton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Hetton, in the Sunderland district, in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is situated alongside the A690 road between Sunderland and Durham, near Houghton-le-Spring. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1711. East Rainton was formerly aRead more
township and chapelry in the parish of Houghton-le-Spring, from 1866 East Rainton was a civil parish in its own right, on 1 April 1937 the parish was abolished to form Hetton, part also went to 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: East Rainton FC, the second team from the village to bear the name.
The village once had four pubs: 'The Rose and Crown', 'The Blacksmiths Arms', 'The Village Tavern' and the last-remaining 'The Olde Ships Inn' (previously known as 'The Travellers Rest' - a name derived from it being a staging post on the Durham to Sunderland coaching road which passed through the village). The Olde Ships Inn is now an Italian restaurant called Angelo’s.
Other village facilities include a small premier shop, East Rainton Primary School, the church of St Cuthbert, and the Methodist chapel. The village post office closed in 2011 and its space was used to expand the local shop.
The village is located just by the outskirts of Durham on the area of high ground to the south of Houghton-le-Spring, and the name Rainton is thought to stem from the Anglo-Saxon - Rennington or Renn's settlement.
Where to Stay in East Rainton
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near East Rainton?
Within an hour or so of East Rainton: Durham Cathedral (8 km), Durham Cathedral Cloister (Hogwarts) (8 km), Angel of the North (12 km), Croft Circuit (42 km).
Are there any good drives near East Rainton?
The nearest famous roads are A689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale), B6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall) and B6270 Swaledale.
Where is East Rainton?
East Rainton is in England, United Kingdom, about 6 km from South Hetton.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,213
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 54.8251, -1.4804
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from East Rainton
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
film location
Durham Cathedral Cloister (Hogwarts)
The Norman cathedral's cloister garth is where Harry releases Hedwig in the snow, and its chapter house was Professor McGonagall's transfiguration classroom.
8 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
Angel of the North
Striking 20-metre steel sculpture with a 54-metre wingspan standing on a hilltop in Gateshead, England.
12 km · about 25 min drive
racetrack
Croft Circuit
A former World War II airfield in North Yorkshire that hosts BTCC and is known for its mix of fast straights and tight chicanes.
42 km · about 50 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Roseberry Topping
A distinctive half-cone hill on the edge of the North York Moors, its shape the result of a 1912 landslip caused by mining.
42 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
A Victorian seaside resort with a surviving pier and the world's oldest working water-balance cliff lift, opened in 1884.
42 km · about 50 min drive
waterfall
High Force Waterfall
England's largest waterfall by volume, plunging 21 metres over the Whin Sill escarpment in a cloud of spray in Upper Teesdale.
48 km · about 55 min drive
ancient ruins
Chesters Roman Fort
The best-preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain, on the North Tyne, with a remarkably complete military bath house.
48 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near East Rainton
10 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 42 kmRoseberry ToppingA distinctive half-cone hill on the edge of the North York Moors, its shape the result of a 1912 landslip caused by mining.
- 54 kmA689 Alston to Stanhope (Weardale)A remote high Pennine road over Killhope with wide moorland views and almost no traffic; England's highest market town at one end.
- 58 kmB6318 Military Road (Hadrian's Wall)General Wade's arrow-straight road along Hadrian's Wall, rolling over the whin sill with Roman forts on either side.
- 61 kmSteel RiggA car park and viewpoint on the Whin Sill giving the classic switchback view of Hadrian's Wall towards Sycamore Gap.
- 63 kmB6270 SwaledaleThe narrow dale road from Richmond to Nateby past Gunnerside and Keld, drystone walls and barns the whole way.
- 64 kmHigh Cup NickA perfect U-shaped glacial valley in the North Pennines rimmed by dolerite columns, reached by a walk from Dufton.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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