Tyne and Wear HER(15739): East Rainton, Durham Road, troughs - Details
15739
Sunderland
East Rainton, Durham Road, troughs
East Rainton
NZ34NW
Water Supply and Drainage
Water Storage Site
Trough
Post Medieval
C16
Structure
A spring near the bottom of Rainton Bank feeds into two stone troughs. Local tradition says that in 1558 Rector of Houghton-le-Spring, Bernard Gilpin was on route to London having been summoned by Queen Mary to declare his religion (Gilpin was a Protestant, the Queen was a Catholic) when he stopped at the troughs, which were fed by the spring, to water his horse. As he dismounted, he fell and broke his leg. He was forced to return home. While his leg was healing Queen Mary died. Queen Elizabeth I was a Protestant and so Bernard Gilpin's life was saved. The date of the troughs is not known. They are now (2013) surrounded by pretty planting and gravel. There are several springs around East Rainton shown on the OS first edition map.
3368
4838
NZ33684838
East Rainton Women's Institute, ?1940s, History of East Rainton (typescript); Hetton Local & Natural History Society, 2015, The Hetton Village Atlas p560