Portsmouth's Lost Pubs N-R

These pages focus on some of the city's pubs that have closed over the years. Some have sadly been demolished, whilst many have been converted to other use. Portsmouth has lost literally hundreds in the last century, many of which still stand. These can often be identified by looking for evidence of glazed tiling on the frontage or half timbered decoration to the upper floors of the buildings. The last decade has seen a spate of closures and demolitions, though thankfully these have mostly centred on post-war houses of little or no architectural merit - although any loss is of course regrettable.

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"When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England" Hilaire Belloc

The Navigators	38/40 Isambard Brunel Road, Landport
Built in 1976 as part of the new Isambard Brunel Road scheme, the Navigators existed mainly to serve local workers from the civic centre offices - evening trade being somewhat light. The explosion in licensed premises along nearby Guildhall Walk in the 1990s affected the pub badly and contributed to its closure in 1998. The house was converted to offices in 2001. Photographed 18th February 1990

The Nelson Hotel

101A Victoria Road South, Southsea

The Nelson Hotel was built in 1898 at the junction of Victoria Road South and St Vincent Road. Prior to this date, pubs with the names the Nelson's Arms and the Nelson Inn stood on this site. The house survived until late 1981, at which time it was closed and converted to flats, as so many of the city's pubs have been over the last thirty years or so. Luckily, the building still survives and is easily recognizable as a former pub to this day.

Photographed 14th August 2005

The New Road Inn

17 New Road, Buckland

A typical street corner local, the New Road Inn could be found at the junction with Balliol Road. Part of the Longs Brewery estate in the 19th century, the pub later came under ownership of Brickwoods and thereafter, Whitbread when the latter took control of the Portsea brewer in 1971. The house survived a further decade before becoming another victim of Whitbread's ruthless pub closure programme in 1981. The property is now an anonymous pair of flats.

Left-hand photograph 15th July 2007

The Nine Elms Tavern

8 Guildhall Walk (formerly 81 Commercial Road), Landport

This small Victorian terraced pub has stood on what was once Commercial Road for around 150 years. With its name cast in stone at roof level, the pub was originally part of the Lush Brewery before passing to Portsmouth United Breweries in the early 20th century. The pub survived until the early 1970s before falling into dereliction and subsequently being converted to a restaurant. In the mid 1980s the building formed part of the new Ellie Jay's fun pub and remained in this guise until the late 1990s when it once again closed, then later reopened as part of the countrywide Po Na Na chain of nightclubs. By 2007 the premises was trading as a brand new stripper house - one of two venues that now exists in former pubs in Portsmouth. Whatever would our Victorian ancestors have made of that?!

Photographed 18th March 2007

	The Nine Elms Tavern	97 Grigg Street, Southsea
	Located on what later became St Paul's Road, where Portsmouth and Southsea merge, The Nine Elms was a three storey, narrow Victorian beerhouse which, in 1911 was leased to Portsmouth United Breweries by the Longs Brewery. The following decade the pub was renamed the Five Alls and ended up as part of the Brickwoods portfolio. It survived until 1958 when it was demolished.

	The Northsea Arms	94 Twyford Avenue, Stamshaw
	Standing mid-terrace among the dense housing of Stamshaw, the former Northsea Arms now shows little evidence of its previous life as a public house. The house ceased trading in 1981 (a poor year for pub closures across the city) and owners Whitbread sought planning permission to have the premises converted to housing. Photographed 15th July 2007

The Old Blue Posts	38 Broad Street, Old Portsmouth
The original Blue Posts was constructed in 1613 and became one of Portsmouth's most famous old inns. The name apparently derived from the two large pillars that supported the porch at the front of the house. The pub was at various times known as the Blue Posts Inn, Tavern and Hotel as well as the Two Blue Posts for a short spell during the 18th century. The end for the original structure came in 1870 when it was destroyed by fire. The pub was rebuilt, as seen in these photographs, and survived until 1940, when World War II brought about its demise.

The Old George

16 Kingston Road, Buckland

The Old George is another pub that stood on Kingston Road, Buckland, at its junction with Little George Street. A pub existed on this site since at least 1823, though the building pictured dates from 1898. Its ornate glazed brickwork was retained after its conversion to an Age Concern premises in the mid 1980s. Originally owned by the Pike Brewery, the pub ceased trading in 1982 and the building finally succumbed to the bulldozers at the turn of 2005, when it was replaced by another Age Concern property.

Photographed 2004

The Old House At Home

33 Jubilee Avenue, Paulsgrove

One of five pubs that could once be found throughout the Paulsgrove housing estate, the Old House at Home was the most westerly of these. Built in the 1930s in Art Deco style, this former Whitbread pub spent the last years of its life under ownership of Dorset brewers Eldridge Pope. The pub served its last pints at around the start of the 21st century and has since been converted into housing. Thankfully a Grade II listing by English Heritage saved the property from demolition.

The Old Trafalgar

175/177 Fratton Road, Fratton

Still proudly proclaiming its former identity at roof level to this day, the Old Trafalgar stands on Fratton Road at its junction with Stamford Street. The Trafalgar Brewery traded here from 1879 and became the Old Trafalgar from around 1956. The pub was once part of the Long's Brewery estate (as seen in the right-hand photograph) before being taken over by Brickwoods and latterly, Whitbread. The pub served its last pints back in 1981, after which it was converted to flats.

Left-hand photograph 14th August 2005

The Oliver Twist

373/375 Old Commercial Road, Landport

Located on Old Commercial Road and named in honour of Charles Dickens who was born on the same street, the Oliver Twist was unusual for being run by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, a rarity in Portsmouth. Despite standing in a conservation area, it became another victim of the inner city location and the pub closed around the turn of the 21st century and was sold unlicensed.

Photographed 18th February 1990

The Original Twyford Arms

67 Twyford Avenue, Stamshaw

Closed for business sometime during the mid 1990s, this house stood on Twyford Avenue, Stamshaw at its junction with Stanley Road. The house formed part of the Burton-based Ind Coope chain of pubs until being sold to Gales as part of a job lot in the early '90s. It was always a prime candidate for closure, as no investment ever seemed to be made by the owners, resulting in a very basic down-at-heel boozer indeed. Now sadly converted to residential use.

Photographed 14th August 1988

The Owtback Bar

4 Auckland Road West, Southsea

Previously known as Ashby's, this pseudo-Australian theme bar survived for a number of years through the 1990s until 2008. Facing a back-street car park on Ashby Place, off Osborne Road, the pub was popular with the 18-25 set and had a strong sporting emphasis, with a hefty dose of antipodian clichés thrown in for good measure. Curiously named with a daft spelling, the pub, not surprisingly, majored on lager and bottled cocktails. Thankfully, salvation came in August 2008 when the premises was transformed into an high quality pub and hotel, returning the premises to its original name.

Photographed 6th August 2005

The Parade Hotel	30 Clarence Parade, Southsea
This ornate former Brickwoods pub stood on Clarence Parade, overlooking Southsea Common. Once a popular bar, its patronage declined in later years as new modern bars opened in the more fashionable parts of town. The Parade was sold to developers in 2004 and was demolished in July of that year. The building was one of the most architecturally significant premises facing the common and the council's willingness to allow its demolition was nothing short of contemptuous. All that now remains is the inn sign, located on the opposite side of the street. A sad loss of an interesting building. Left-hand photograph 6th August 2005. Right-hand photograph 11th May 1989.

The Penhale Arms

101 Fratton Road, Fratton

original Pelhale Arms (Jewell) archive photo

Yet another pub that was lost at the start of the 1980s, the Penhale Arms on Fratton Road started life as the Artillery Arms in the mid 1800s. The original pub (see far right-hand photo) was acquired by the local Jewell Brewery at the end of the 19th century and rebuilt by A E Cogswell in familiar brewers tudor style in 1926 for Brickwoods. The Penhale traded until 1982, at which time it was converted to retail premises. It is probable that the original Brickwoods façia still survives behind the ugly modern replacement.

Photographed 14th August 2005

The Plough & Barleycorn

27/29 Lake Road, Landport

One of at least seventeen pubs that once stood on Lake Road throughout the early 20th century, the Plough & Barleycorn dated from 1896 and occupied the north side of the road, on the corner of the long-gone Cosham Street. As can be seen in the photograph, the pub was part of the Dorchester-based Eldridge Pope brewery, who ran a number of pubs in Portsmouth until as recently as the 1990s. The pub was lost in 1940 when it became the victim of enemy bombing.

The Polar Star	45 London Road, North End
Located in the heart of North End's shopping centre, the Polar Star was built in 1908, in typical half-timbered brewers tudor style, replacing an earlier pub by the name of the Queen's Head. Surprisingly, the pub served its last ale as long ago as the 1950s and by 1958 it had been converted to retail use. These days it is divided into two seperate shop units. Photographed 15th July 2007

The Pompey

44 Frogmore Road, Milton

Another pub designed by prolific Portsmouth architect A E Cogswell, the Pompey opened its doors in 1900. Situated on Frogmore Road, the building guards the main entrance to Fratton Park, home of Portsmouth F C. This former Brickwoods pub sadly called last orders for the final time around 1990 and has since been converted into the football club's Pompey Shop, where staff now sell soccer kits from behind the same bar that once served pints!

Photographed 28th April 1991

The Portsea Arms

26 Bishop Street, Portsea

Very much an example of a basic traditional corner pub, the Portsea Arms was tucked away on Bishop Street, off Queen Street. Originally a Pike Spicer house named the Butchers Arms, it was later renamed the Crown (see right-hand photograph) before assuming its last name in the 1980s. The pub served its last pints in 2002, shortly before the bulldozers moved in. A small block of flats now occupies the site.

Left-hand photograph 11th May 1989

The Princess Alexandra	1 Castle Road, Southsea
Located in what is now a conservation area, the Princess Alexandra is one of three former pubs that can be found within a few hundred yards. Sporting an attractive half-timbered design, the pub survived into the 1970s but later fell into disuse before being renovated as a private house in 1980. It stands on the corner of Regent Place, opposite the Wheelbarrow pub. Photographed 15th July 2007

The Priory Inn	107A Victoria Road North, Southsea
Situated on Victoria Road North, close to Bradford Junction, the Priory Inn was rebuilt to an ugly 1950s design after the original pub was bombed out during the war. This small Whitbread-owned house surprisingly managed to delay its death knell by some years before finally succumbing in 2003, when it was demolished. The plot is now occupied by housing. Photographed 18th February 1990

The Railway Carriers

16 Greetham Street, Landport

Sited on the corner of Greetham Street and Belgrave Street (the latter of which no longer exists), the Railway Carriers was another of those Victorian taverns that could be found on almost every street corner in the 19th century. Originally a Miles Brewery house, the pub later became part of United's large estate before being taken over by Brickwoods. The pub survived until 1967, after which it was demolished.

Photograph kindly supplied by Neil Deville

The Red Lion

128 St Mary's Road, Fratton

Yet another pub that once traded on St Mary's Road, the Red Lion was the most easterly of the bunch. This former Longs Brewery pub could be found on the corner of Cuthbert Road and closed as far back as 1957 when it was converted to a launderette. By 1967 the premises had become a shop, which is how it remains to this day. A planning application in 2007 to renew the shopfront may soon mean that the premises looks quite different to how it is shown in the photograph.

Photographed 15th July 2007

The Rodney

Spring Street, Landport

This traditional city centre pub was owned by Portsea brewer Brickwoods and sported a typical glazed ground floor tiled façade, with mosaic lettering, in common with dozens of that company's houses. Little else is known about the pub, which was one of a handfull that once traded on Spring Street (the last of these being the Rose of England, which became a café following the construction of the Cascades Shopping Centre in the 1980s).

The Royal Dragoon

15 Kingston Crescent, North End

Originally known as the Crescent Brewery Tap, this pub gained its latter name in 1904. Owned by the adjacent Crescent Brewery since mid Victorian times, by 1931 the Royal Dragoon had become part of the extensive Long's Brewery estate before being swallowed up by larger rivals Brickwood's later that decade. The pub survived until 1970, when major redevelopment of the nearby Baltic Timber Yard saw its demolition and the subsequent construction of Baltic House.

The Royal Naval Arms	191 Queen Street, Portsea
The existence of a pub on this site can be traced back to the late 18th century, and there was probably one here much earlier than that, given that Queen Street was once home to dozens of hostelries due to its proximity to the naval dockyard. Trading as the King's Arms for well over a century, this pub was rebuilt in 1899. Despite this, a further, majestic rebuild was undertaken in 1916 to a design by A E Cogswell. The imposing structure stood four storeys high and featured a witch's hat tower - a once-familiar feature which can still be found on at least three pub buildings in Portsmouth. Renamed the Royal Naval Arms when reopened, the pub traded until the early 1970s, when it was regrettably demolished.

The Royal Oak	171 Queen Street, Portsea
A pub by the name of the Royal Oak existed on this site since at least the mid 18th century. Known for much of the 19th century as the Royal Oak Hotel, the pub spent many years as part of the Pike Brewery estate. It later transferred to Brickwoods portfolio and closed its doors for the last time around the mid 1960s.

The Royal Standard

190 Queen Street, Portsea

Located on a street which boasted literally dozens of public houses throughout the 19th century, the Royal Standard stood at 190 Queen Street an was previously known as the Sir John Barleycorn. Owned by a number of brewers throughout its life including Peters, Murrell's, Friary Meux of Guildford and latterly Ind Coope of Burton-on-Trent, the pub survived until as recently as 1972. Queen Street has changed beyond all recognition over the last fifty years - what a pity that this historic part of Portsmouth has been all but swept from the map.

The top right-hand photograph depicts the pub in the 1860s when the premises was run by a Mr George Richards. The house later received a new frontage, as seen in the top left-hand photograph, taken in the early years of the 20th century when William Armond was the licensee.

Also of note in the bottom left-hand photograph is the existence of the White Bear, and old Jewell's pub located three doors from the Royal Standard.

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