Portsmouth, but what about Southsea?

We now return to the continuation of the recent tour of Portsmouth alehouses undertaken by myself and two legendary pub men - Paul Mudge and Dave Southworth. At the end of the previous post, you left us shortly after 1pm, at Portsmouth City Wall disappointed at finding that the Sally Port Inn didn’t open for a further two hours. There was nothing for it but to head for the next pub on the list, that being the Pembroke. On the way, we stopped at the City Wall for a brief look at the sea and following a spot of research I'm pleased to report that the portal in the wall is in fact the Sally Port and is in fact the feature from which the aforementioned pub, gets its name.

We walked a little further along on the landward side of the wall before heading inland past the large and open green space, of Governor’s Green. The Pembroke is located on a street corner, overlooking the green, and dates back to 1711. The pub became the Pembroke in 1900, having previously been known as the Little Blue Line. Its large, single room reflects the street corner aspect and as might be expected, its L-shaped bar is decorated, with naval memorabilia. I didn’t notice, until leaving, the signs below the windows describing the Pembroke as “Old Portsmouth’s Proper Pub”, but that was exactly what it was, and immediately the three of us felt the same. Without doubt, this basic and down to earth drinking establishment was that increasingly rare species, a proper stand-up-to-drink boozer, where decent beer, lively conversation and good company take pride of place.

There was proper beer too, in the form of Draught Bass, served alongside London Pride and GK Abbot. All three of us opted for the Bass and a mighty fine pint it was too. Served in proper, straight-sided glasses, bearing the famous Bass Red Triangle trademark, it was the perfect and most appropriate beer for this honest, working man’s local. Apart from the beer, and sense of camaraderie, there was little in the way of other attractions. As far as food was concerned, I was pleased to notice, a stack of cling-filmed cheese rolls (cobs if you prefer) on sale at the bar, from one of those see-through plastic containers.

On leaving the Pembroke we caught a glimpse of Portsmouth Cathedral, in the next block. According to Google, the cathedral has been a place of worship since the 12^th Century, although I was unaware that Portsmouth had such a building. If you look at the photograph, you can see the upper section of the Spinnaker Tower, poking up from behind the neighbouring buildings, making a perfect contrast between the old and the new. As we made our way towards the third pub, Dave remarked on how clean and tidy, Portsmouth looked, when compared to other towns, both here and in the US. The absence of litter, as well as that scourge of modern society the street “artists” with their spray-cans, mindless tags and squiggles, was another bonus. It amazes me why “graffiti” is given an air of respectability, by well-meaning people who describe such vandalism as art.

We headed off in a roughly easterly direction, ending up in Southsea, although it isn’t abundantly clear where the latter begins and Portsmouth ends. We eventually reached the Barley Mow, an unusual looking pub with an extensive ground floor extension, capped with a flat roof.  A number of signs around the exterior advertising the presence of cask ales, live music an award-winning patio garden give a taste of what to expect, although it definitely wasn't garden weather! The first impression, upon walking inside, was a substantial bar area, with wood-panelled walls, bedecked with numerous nautically themed, photographs, plus various items of assorted Bric a Brac. Guarding the fireplace was the model of a rather fierce looking witch.

The Barley Mow had an interesting selection of beers to tempt us with, including the ubiquitous London Pride, Gales HSB, GK Abbot, plus Hogs Back England’s Glory. It must be several years since I last had a Hogs Back beer, but it was obviously well worth the wait, and made a pleasant change from the other beers that we’d seen on sale, in other pubs. We found a table and sat down to enjoy our drinks. The pub wasn't exactly heaving but from the posters on the wall, plus the Barley Mow’s website, we soon ascertained that this was a real community pub. Other clues came from things such as quiz nights, live music evenings (Sunday and Thursday), weekly meat raffles, plus summer barbecues.

The next pub was the Hole in the Wall, situated in the next street. Described on the pub’s website as a “proper old local with wooden beams and a snug,” the Hole was virtually empty when we arrived, although it didn’t take long for things to liven up. It offers an ever-changing selection of cask beers, but the one that caught my fancy was Cinder Toffee Stout, from the New Bristol Brewery – but just a half, mind you! The pub is long and quite narrow, which might explain why I didn’t take any photos of the interior, but like the nearby Barley Mow, it’s obviously a popular place. Virtually next door, is a former Gales pub, as evidenced by the attractive tile work, spelling out G. Gale & Co’s Noted Horndean Ales.

Our final pub of the day was the King Street Tavern, a Wadworth pub, with interesting interior, and a wonderfully ornate, tiled exterior, which is the work of Portsmouth pub architect A E Cogswell. He was commissioned in the late 1880’s, by the pub’s former owners, Brickwood's Brewery, to come up with this attractive frontage, which has certainly stood the test of time. Today, this lovely, Grade II listed Victorian street corner local, is a perfect example of traditional pub architecture. In 2006 the pub was acquired by Wiltshire brewer, Wadworth of Devises, and renamed the King Street Tavern – clue, the pub is situated in King Street.

The pub’s interior is more contemporary in style, with wood panelled walls, green-coloured tiling behind the bar, and strategically placed, soft-lighting. Wadworth 6X was the cask beer of choice for the three of us, but an array of taps, on the rear wall, dispense “craft” beer for those who like that sort of thing. Furnishings are a mixture of traditional tables and chairs, plus upholstered bar stools and high tables. The King Street Tavern was starting to fill up when we arrived, and we were lucky to get a seat. We were also fortunate to secure some food, from the selection of American-themed menu – smokehouse ribs, brisket, burgers etc. My “dirty mac & cheese” was the right choice for keeping me going, and for soaking up some of the excess beer.

We called it a day there and made our way through the fading light to the city’s other station – Portsmouth & Southsea. We boarded the London-bound train, which called at Chichester on its way to the capital. Paul and Dave left the train there, and I thanked them both for their company over the past couple of days and said how much I had enjoyed the time we'd spent together. My onward journey was delayed by a points failure, just outside Gatwick station, but I was still back in Tonbridge before 9pm.

So, an excellent couple of days on the south coast, with some fine company. Now the only question left to answer, is where to next?