(GR 341 485 )

Directions to point F (GR 336 483)

Once on the main road turn right and walk along past the houses at Rainton Bridge towards the roundabout. Cross over the road before the roundabout turning left up the hill in the direction of East Rainton. The road system here has changed drastically with the dualling of the A690 but this old road was the main road between Houghton-le-Spring and Durham.. It was, during the eighteenth century, a turnpike road running between Durham and the port of Sunderland. Walk up the hill for about 250 metres to a point where there are some water troughs set back off the roadside. These troughs have an interesting story connected with them.

(Point F) QR Code or link to information

Point E This stream is the main intake mill race (leat) into the mill and brewery at Rainton Bridge. This corn mill and brewery were in full operation throughout most of the 19th century and continued in use until the 1920s. The closure of the mill occurred because bigger and more efficient mills were in operation at this time and cheap corn was being imported from Canada and the USA. Some of the buildings existed until the early 1960s but by the end of that decade, houses were built on the site. A small street sign indicates where the mill was positioned. (It is worth looking at the map to understand how the mill was positioned. The public house called “The Mill”, still stands on the old Durham Road close by. Rainton Mill was built by the Scott family and used for the grinding of grain for local farmers. Later it was owned by Mr William Scott’s family. Rainton Brewery was owned by the Legg family for the bottling of beer and later by the Lamb family who brewed beer and stout there until the special spring water dried up and the brewery had to close. Lamb’s brewery was also based in Hetton for a number of years and employed about 20 people

The present day mill pond which formed part of the water system for the Rainton Bridge Mill                O.S Map 3rd series 1920 showing the Rainton Bridge Mill and

                                                                                                                                                                                Brewery together with the mill leats.