74 Albert Road
Southsea
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO5 2SL
023 9282 2245
The Fifth Hants Volunteer (photo 1) was once owned by Gales Brewery which was based in Horndean about 8 miles north of Portsmouth. It served all their ales so it was a must-visit for me on trips to Portsmouth in the 1990s when it was a Good Beer Guide regular. It’s now owned by Fullers but the pub still sells Gales HSB (now brewed in London), and it’s still proud of its cask beer. It aslo has Old Rosie cider, Amstel lager and a good range of gins and whiskies.
It’s a two bar locals pub with darts, a jukebox and occasional live bands. There are a lot of old fittings dating from the early 1900s, the 1930s and the 1950s. It features on Camra’s Heritage Pub website.
The soldier drinking from a tankard on the inn sign was there back in Gales’ days but this is a new version (photo 2). The 5th Hants was a battalion of the Hampshire Regiment and there is some memorabilia in one of the rooms.
The tiled signs on the front wall are not rare on Southsea pubs but these promote whiskies and brandies rather than the usual brewery or pub name (photo 3). The photo combines both signs.
The pub had a makeover at the end of 2021 and the ground floor has been painted navy blue. The inn sign has changed and the soldier now has lost his tankard and just has a rifle!
