Rayne, Essex

infobox UK place

country = England
latitude= 51.8768|longitude= 0.5142

official_name= Rayne
population = 3,000
shire_district= Braintree
shire_county = Essex
region= East of England

constituency_westminster=Braintree
post_town= Braintree
postcode_district = CM77
postcode_area= CM
dial_code= 01376
os_grid_reference= TL730228

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It lies on the Roman road called Stane Street, about two miles (3 km) to the west of Braintree, which is the nearest town.

It used to be a more important settlement than Braintree in Norman times, although this has not been the case for a long time now.

If you enter Rayne from Braintree, you immediately arrive at a crossroads. The playing field is to your left, while to your right is a pub called The Swan. Turning left into Gore Road takes you to the village hall, which overlooks the playing field. Alternatively, turning right into Shalford Road takes you past the allotments and the Rectory, and on into the north of the village. To the West of the village can be found All Saints' church, a war memorial, a stream called Pod's Brook, and a small airfield. There are also the old manor house of Rayne Hall, and Old Hall; a previous Rectory. Rayne Hall was for a long time the home of the Capel family, who became Earls of Essex. In mediaeval times the Church was known for healing miracles: it was said that infertile women visiting the church were later able to conceive. Most unusually a number of the churchyard memorials are made of cast iron: these were manufactured at the (now disused) foundry at around the end of the nineteenth century using a common mound into which individual letters were inserted to spell out the details. [History of Rayne Church. Locally published by the PCC of All Saints Church. 1990 Edition.] .

If you continue west along the main road ("The Street"), you will pass an Indian restaurant, another pub, the Welsh Princess, the disused Rayne Iron foundry, the Post Office stores, and another pub, The Cock. Continuing in that direction out of the village leads to the town of Great Dunmow.

Just after the Post Office is a turning into Station Road, which leads down to the former Rayne Railway Station, which is now the Rayne Station Centre of the Flitch Way Country Park, a linear park stretching along the former trackbed of the railway. This is also now National Cycle Network route No. 16.

Rayne, which is located about 40 miles [65km] north-east of London, is twinned with Verberie which is about 40 miles north-east of Paris in the Department of Picardie, which coincidently is twinned with the County of Essex.

On 12 July 2006, Rayne was named Essex Village of the Year, in a competition organised annually by Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) and sponsored by Calor. Rayne also won the Calor Village of the Year Competition 2006/7 in the ITC Category.

References

External links

* [http://www.rayne-info.org.uk/ Rayne Village Website]
* [http://www.raynevillagehall.org Rayne Village Hall Website]
* [http://www.rayne-info.org.uk/twinning/index.html Rayne Twinning Association]
* [http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=51.876113~0.509394&style=h&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&encType=1 Aerial view of Rayne]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/trevorwright/sets/1231628/ Some images of Rayne]
* [http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/guc.jsp?channelOid=14413&guideOid=16906&guideContentOid=14437 Essex County Council - Flitch Way Country Park]
* [http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1132926327968 Sustrans Flitch Way National Cycle Network Route No. 16]

Essex-geo-stub