Population 2,505 Civil parish Rainow Region North West Local time Thursday 6:06 PM Ceremonial county Cheshire UK parliament constituency Macclesfield | OS grid reference SJ950761 Unitary authority Country England Dialling code 01625 Post town Macclesfield | |
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Weather 7°C, Wind NE at 27 km/h, 62% Humidity | ||
Rainow is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England, in the valley of the River Dean and next to the B5470 road between Macclesfield and Kettleshulme. It straddles the eastern side of the Peak District border of Derbyshire and Cheshire, and is surrounded by pasture farmland. The village's name comes from the Old English Hraefn Hoe, meaning Ravens' Hill. It is a former coal-mining village and has a population of around 2,500.
Contents
- Map of Rainow Macclesfield UK
- School
- Holy Trinity Church
- Jenkin Chapel
- Cultural events
- Notable residents
- References
Map of Rainow, Macclesfield, UK
To the east of the village is Lamaload Reservoir, the first concrete reservoir constructed in England, between 1958 and 1964. At 308 metres (1,010 ft), it is also the highest constructed dam in England.
White Nancy, a circular, white-painted stone structure constructed to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, stands at the northern end of Kerridge Hill on the boundary between the parishes of Rainow and Bollington.
School
Rainow Primary School has 175 pupils, covering Reception through to Year 6.
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church was built in 1846 at a cost of £1,800 by John Mellor of Kerridge End on land donated by Joseph Harding. The architect was Samuel Howard of Disley. In 1958, the present vicarage was built adjoining the church.
Jenkin Chapel
Jenkin Chapel was constructed of local gritstone in 1733. It has an external flight of steps leading to a gallery (a small tower with a saddleback roof was added in 1754–55). Originally dedicated to St. John the Baptist, it was consecrated in 1894 and re-dedicated to St. John the Evangelist.
Cultural events
Rainow has an annual Church Fete with tea marquee, tug of war, and a fell race across Kerridge Hill that overlooks the village. The fete is also associated with a two-week display of 'scarecrows' throughout the village. An annual 5-mile race called The Rainow Five leads from the institute, up Kerridge then back down; it attracts many local runners, as well as the occasional celebrity such as Tony Audenshaw from the ITV soap Emmerdale.
Notable residents
Notable residents of the village are Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, members of the bands Joy Division, New Order and The Other Two. Both grew up in nearby Macclesfield. The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire lives in the village, as does MP Graham Evans. Previous residents include the late Brian Redhead (journalist, author and broadcaster), Bill Turnbull (BBC journalist and presenter, resident 2012–16), and former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.