Building MPM1098 - THE GUARDSMAN FORMER PUBLIC HOUSE, 129, FRATTON ROAD

One of the earliest surviving buildings in the city outside Old Portsmouth. Originally two separate buildings, a c. 17th century timber-framed house and 18th century cottage, combined to form one property at some point during the late 18th/early 19th century. In use as a public house (The Guardsman) since at least 1830 until around the turn of the 21st century.

One of the earliest surviving buildings in the city outside Old Portsmouth. Originally two separate buildings, a c. 17th century timber-framed house and 18th century cottage, which were combined to form one property at some point during the late 18th/early 19th century. In use as a public house (The Guardsman) since at least 1830 until around the turn of the 21st century.

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Grade 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.

[1]

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A watching brief undertaken during groundworks to the south and west of the surviving buildings in 2007/8, confirmed there were two main phases of construction: a 17th century timber-framed house at the northern end, and an 18th century cottage built against the southern end of the earlier building. These two buildings were later combined to form one property, which was in use as a public house by 1830.

The surviving timber-framing in the northern bay suggested a 17th century construction date, supporting the date given in the listing entry. As the chimney stack is situated at the north end of the bay, it has been suggested this building and a structure shown immediatley to the north on 18th century plans, demolished by the mid-19th century, were originally one building with a roughly central chimney. Plaster found on the north face of the laths at the north wall at first floor and roof level, possibly supports this theory. If correct, it is possible the building would have been of a 'lobby-entry' type plan, with a centrally placed chimney opposite the main entrance, and an entrance lobby occupying the space inbetween. This type of house started to appear in rural Hampshire in the mid-16th century, becoming common in the 17th century. It has therefore been suggested that the northern bay may originally have been the southern end of a fairly large 17th century lobby-entry farmhouse.

A small 18th century brick cottage had been built against the south wall of the original house by 1785. Although the arrangement of the cottage suggests the two structures were originally separate, at some point the buildings were combined to form one property and doors cut through the adjoining wall. The first reference to the premises being used a public house appears in Pigot's Directory of 1830.

Two pits were observed during the watching brief, both of which were interpreted as probable soakaways for a house, rather than rubbish pits. One pit was revealed to the west of the northern bay, its fills containing a smaller quantity of post-medieval building debris (lower fill) and fragments of brick and wood (upper fill). The second pit was observed in the north west of the site. Only the top was exposed, and its fill contained early modern/modern artefacts.

A large feature of unknown function with steep edges was observed at the southern end of the site adjacent to the southern property boundary. Its fill contained fragments of limestone rubble, chalk, igneous cobbles, cement mortar, ceramic building material and china, including blue transfer ware.

Several footings were revealed in trenches to the west of the street frontage structures. Due to the disjointed nature of the observations, it was not always possible to see how they related to each other, although in some cases it was possible to show a sequence of walls. Some of these walls related to later extensions to the original buildings shown on the 19th and 20th century maps which had since been demolished, lean-tos and the pre-development Guardsman floor. Modern features consisted of a circular brick-built soakaway or well, and concrete footings belonging to the south wall of the late 19th century 131 Fratton Road to the north.

The only evidence of activity revealed during the watching brief related to the 19th and 20th century use of the building. Finds consisted of fragments of clay pipe, brick, roof tile, mortar, plaster and 19th century/modern pottery.

Accession No: 2007/15

[2]

<1> Historic England, The National Heritage List for England (Index). SPM35.

<2> Smith, M P, 2008, Archaeological watching brief at the former Guardsman public house, 129 Fratton Road, Portsmouth (Unpublished document). SPM115.