Rake, United Kingdom

In the 18th century, highway robbery was rife, whether petty thieving, robbery or even murder. A coach carrying cash for sailors' wages worth several thousand pounds overturned on Rake Hill, and would have been robbed had the boxes not been so heavy. A party of marines intervened, eventually.

Large private properties were built in Rake, particularly on the hill towards Hill Brow, by and for people of means ("pretentious country residences", according to Charles Harper). Some of these subsequently became care homes. The road had been turnpiked mid-century, and there was a toll-house near The Flying Bull.

In 1986 there was a double murder on Chapel Common, Rake, where Peter Thurgood and Lindy Benstead were shot. It remains unsolved, despite an appeal by the BBC in 2021, and is one of Britain's oldest cold cases.

Amenities in the 20th century were various - Rake working Men's Club existed from 1920 to 1979; The George Street Trust for Milland and Rake was set up in 1962 for the prevention and relief of poverty; a police house existed in the village for most of the 20th century; Rake Store existed at least from 2005 to 2012, then from 2013 to 2015, when it closed permanently. For part of this time it hosted the village post office, but this was transferred to a Post Office Outreach Service at the garden centre, but this was withdrawn in 2025.

The former Sun Inn closed in 2011, and became residential. The former Red Lion pub was renamed Court Barn and for 50 years had housed a greyhound-rehoming trust, but closed in 2025. In 2021, properties in the village averaged £687,000. The Flying Bull pub and hotel was advertised for sale in February 2026 for £625,000.

In what was declared to be a record planning application, plans to build 68 new homes on the site of the closed Heathmount Nursing Home and two neighbouring care homes were being considered in 2025. Heathmount had recently been used for police dog training; the entire site covers 2.7 ha.