The Cauldron

The Cauldron, formerly known as the Old Post Office, is a hotel and restaurant located on the north side of The Street in Rayne. This building dates back to the 17th century or earlier, with later alterations and additions, including an 18th-century parapet facade and an 18th or 19th-century shopfront. It features a timber frame and is rough rendered, with weatherboarding on the left outshot return. The roof is covered with red plain tiles, hipped at the front, and has a wing set back to the left. There are two red brick chimney stacks, one located at the center of the ridge and the other on the outshot.

The building has two storeys and an attic, with an 18th or 19th-century horizontal sliding sash window in the attic and vertical sliding sash windows on the first floor. There are two 19th-century shop windows with cross mullions and a central recessed part-glazed door, along with pilasters and a fascia above. A 20th-century window has been added to the outshot. The left range features one window.

Attached to the left and now part of the hotel is a 19th-century plastered cottage, which has a roof covered with fish scale tiles, pierced ridge tiles, and three finials. It has a left red brick chimney stack and is two storeys high with a two-window range of small-paned vertically sliding sashes. There are 20th-century doors on both the right and left sides of the cottage. This cottage is included for its group value with The Cauldron.