In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described West Rainton like this:
RAINTON (West), a village, a township, and a chapelry, in Houghton-le-Spring parish, Durhamshire. The village stands ¾ of a mile N E of Leamside-Junction r.station, and 4¼ N E by N of Durham; and has a post-office under Fence-Houses. The township comprises 1, 788 acres. Real property, £5, 722; of which £2, 100 are in mines, and £810 in railway s. ...
Pop., 1, 447. Houses, 308. The manor belonged once to a convent at Durham, and belongs now to the Dean and Chapter of Durham. The chapelry is more extensive than the township; and was constituted in 1838, and re-constructed in 1866. Pop., about 3,000. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Durham. Value, £310.* Patron, the Bishop of Durham. A new church was built in 1864. There are a Wesleyan chapel and national schools.
West Rainton through time
West Rainton is now part of Durham district. Click here for graphs and data of how Durham has changed over two centuries. For statistics about West Rainton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of West Rainton, in Durham and County Durham | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1916
Date accessed: 28th April 2024
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