Building MPM1200 - Isambard Brunel Wetherspoons P.H.

Former Gas Offices built 1915, now a public house. A memorial to employees of the Portsea Island Gas Light Company who lost their lives in the First World War is mounted on the wall to the left of the front door.

Former Gas Offices now public house on corner of Guildhall Square – two storeys, stone faced with corner turret [1]. Built 1914/15 on site of an earlier building [2]. Opened as a Public House c.1996 [3 & 4]. The address was changed from 87 Commercial Road to 2 Guildhall Walk c. 1975 [5].

To the left of the door (inside the porch) is a memorial to members of staff of the Portsea Island Gas Light Company who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial is mounted on the wall and has a figure of a soldier on the left and a figure of a sailor (?) on the right, with the names of the fallen in the middle [6]. The inscription reads:

HONOUR - DUTY
SACRIFICE

J. BARBER T. MILLETT
W.BARBER W. NEW
F. BAXTER G. PETWORTH
H. BENNETT W.G. SAMPHIER
G. CHALMERS W. SHEA
E. CHANDLER C.H. SMITH
V.J. COURSE A. STRUGNELL
R. DRAIN F.G.H. TAYLOR
J. DRAIN A. TOWNER
C. ELLIOTT W. TUCKER
E. GLADDISH H. WALKER
G. JARVIS E. WEARN
H. LOVETT A.G. WHITE
G.M. WILSON

R. WOODS


THIS TABLET IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY
OF THE MEN OF THE PORTSEA ISLAND
GAS LIGHT COMPANY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919
ERECTED BY THE EXECUTIVE & EMPLOYEES 1921

<1> Portsmouth City Council, 2011, City of Portsmouth Local List of Buildings (Bibliographic reference). SPM37.

<2> Rake, George, n.d, Portsea Gas Light Company: Ground plans of proposed new offices Commercial Road (Graphic material). SPM173.

<3> British Telecom, 1996, The Phone Book (Bibliographic reference). SPM174.

<4> Yell Ltd, 1996, Yellow Pages (Bibliographic reference). SPM175.

<5> 1800s - 1976, Kelly's Street Directories (Bibliographic reference). SPM38.

<6> Backhouse, Tim, 2002-17, Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth (Bibliographic reference). SPM259.