Listed Building: THE GUARDSMAN FORMER PUBLIC HOUSE (1391668)

II Public house. Dates from the early C17 or even C16, refronted in the C18 with early and mid C19 upper floor windows and C20 ground floor windows in earlier surrounds. Exterior of painted brick, possibly at least part over timberframing. Tiled roof with massive brick chimneystack to northern end. Two storeys and attics: irregular fenestration, mainly of sashes with casements to dormers. EXTERIOR: The building is divided into two parts. The northern section is of two storeys and attics two bays with a chimneystack of late C16 or early C17 date. The southern section is taller with a half-hipped roof and appears externally of late C17 or early C18 date. The east or entrance front has two C18 hipped dormers with C19 casement windows. The first floor south end has a tripartite mid C19 sash window with central glazing bars and horns and the north end has a six-pane early C19 sash window breaking through the top of the wallplate. The ground floor has four late C20 wooden multipane fixed sash windows within earlier openings, those to north and south possibly replacing doorcases. Wide doorcase with C20 door. The north side is obscured by another building. The south side has no windows but one C20 door. INTERIOR: Not inspected but evidence of some timberframing has been reported, likely given the date of the chimneystack. An internal inspection could reveal interior features of interest. A C17 or earlier domestic building which is one of the few surviving pre-C19 buildings of Fratton village and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city outside Old Portsmouth.