Rayners, Rayners Lane

Grade II listing:- Public house, formerly called the Rayners Hotel. Built 1937 by Truman's Brewery, to the design of Eedle & Meyers. MATERIALS: Red brick with some blue brick headers, laid in English bond; continuous soldier courses above windows. Buff terracotta porches and plinth; clay tile roof. PLAN: The principal building is two storeys high, with single-storey projections. The irregular plan is roughly rectangular, and comprises a long public bar on the NE side, mirrored by a large single-storey assembly hall which has a square 2-storey entrance building on the SW side. Between the public bar and assembly hall are the lounge on the NW side and the saloon on the SE side. The public bar and saloon are jointly served by an L-shaped bar. The upper floors comprise former hotel rooms and ancillary accommodation.

EXTERIOR: Neo-Georgian style with stripped classical detailing to entrances. The NE elevation has a projecting narrower single-storey block with parapet inset with openwork hollow tile panels. Canted projecting corner entrance porches in buff terracotta with curved steps. A central terracotta panel with flanking pilasters and an eagle cartouche bears the brewery name 'Trumans'. NW elevation of 3 bays with central pilastered porch and recessed balcony above; this has an openwork hollow-tile balustrade. Three cross-framed windows to either side of entrance, with single tripartite windows above. Assembly hall joined to main pub by recessed single-story link. Tall windows with square lights; central window lowered to form escape door. 3-bay entrance building on SW side has hipped roof and terracotta surround to door with panel above marked 'assembly hall'. SE elevation similar to that of NW; but with casements on ground floor and a door with plain surround in right-hand bay. The building's windows are all original and are mainly tripartite timber casements with horizontal glazing bars; those to the ground floor have both clear panes and leaded panels with green and yellow glass margins. Entrance doors are original and have similar glazing to windows.

INTERIOR: The interior retains its original plan form and most of its neo-Georgian and Art Deco 1930s fittings. The public bar is panelled throughout, with bracketed shelves above, and has two Art Deco tiled fireplaces with timber surrounds and mirrored overmantels, one bearing the brewery name. Ceramic Art Deco wall clock. Snug screens with leaded glazing may be later replacements. The bar has a timber architrave with reeded decoration and counter with raised panelling and fluted pilasters. The saloon is also fully panelled and has a bar surround and counter matching that to the public bar, and snug screens at one end which have lost their glass. Timber chimneypiece with a mirrored overmantel and tiled slips. The lounge is panelled with a bar surround and counter matching the other rooms. Timber chimneypiece with green marble slips, with wooden Art Deco wall clock above. The assembly room has timber dado panelling with mirrors above; some with their original timber surrounds with fluted decoration, others with later surrounds. Coved ceiling with Doric frieze; the frieze is also present in the open lobby leading through to the main building, which has scrolled consoles. An arch leads through to an adjoining bar; this has no visible features of interest. Upper floors not inspected.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: Of special interest as a virtually unaltered 1930s public house of high architectural quality, which retains its internal plan form and a wealth of original joinery and fittings, designed by Eedle and Meyers, a notable architectural practice specialising in pub design from the 1880s to 1946.