Rainhill

Rainhill is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England. It lies about six miles east of Liverpool, along the historic Liverpool and Manchester Railway corridor, and forms part of the area traditionally known as Lancashire. The parish covers the village of Rainhill and surrounding rural and suburban areas.

Historically, Rainhill is best known for the Rainhill Trials of 1829, a locomotive competition held on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to determine the most viable steam locomotive for the new line. The trials culminated with George and Robert Stephenson's Rocket achieving a high speed and reliability, helping to establish steam locomotives as the standard for railway propulsion.

Rainhill Station opened in 1830 as part of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and remains an active stop on the line between Liverpool and Manchester. The village developed around the railway, acquiring a rural-commuter character with local services and housing.

Governance and community: Rainhill is a civil parish governed by Rainhill Parish Council and forms part of the Rainhill electoral ward for the local council of St Helens. It lies within the wider St Helens area for ceremonial and parliamentary purposes. The community includes amenities typical of English villages, with shops, pubs, and places of worship, and serves as a residential hub for those commuting to nearby cities.

Rich in transport heritage, Rainhill continues to balance a rural historic landscape with modern suburbia while maintaining a distinct local identity within the St Helens area.