Rainow is a small, beautiful village located 3 miles to the North East of Macclesfield located in the valley of the River Dean and located on the B5470 between Macclesfield and Kettleshulme. The village lies on the western side of the Peak District on the border between Cheshire and Derbyshire and is surrounded by stunning countryside, with rolling hills to the east and the expansive Cheshire Plain to the west. On a clear day there are views to the distant Welsh hills.
Originally a farming community, Rainow’s name derives from the Old English Hraefn, meaning Ravens’ Hill. The first records of the village date back to the last 13th Century, and in early Medieval times the area was part of the royal hunting forest of Macclesfield. Rainow was an important staging post on one of the packhorse routes for salt and transport from the mines of Cheshire. The routes were later used by cattle drovers and sheep dealers.
The village today has a lively community with an annual fete with a procession that winds through the village, and it is a perfect base for walking in this part of the Peak District, particularly along Kerridge Ridge, which makes up Rainow’s Western boundary. The Gritstone Trail, a 35-mile-long path from Disley Station to Kidsgrove Station passes through the village. The trail goes through Cheshire and Staffordshire and is a challenging route along the most westerly hills of the Peak District, taking in almost 6,000 feet of ascent. Shining Tour, the highest point in Cheshire, is only a few miles out of the village, as are Windgather Rocks.
To the east of the village lies Lamaload Reservoir, an awe-inspiring reservoir constructed in England and at 308 meters above sea level, it is also the highest in the country. It is surrounded by beautiful, wooded moorland and is popular with anglers and birdwatchers, as well as walkers.
Rainow also has an excellent small village primary school located on Round Meadow.