Home > Hampshire > Portsmouth > Portsea Arms Portsea Arms
Date of photo: 1996	Picture source: Simon Hall www.transportfotos.com
The Portsea Arms was situated at 26 Bishop Street. This pub closed in 2002 and has now been converted to flats.
I visited this pub in Portsmouth while I was in the US Navy and had probably the best time I can remember. It was called the Portsea Arms, the name had changed but I had gotten the history from the owner at the time. I remember walking in thinking " wow this place isnt very big, must be where old folks hang out". That was before I decided how many different ciders I could drink of the maple selection. On about my 5th cider, I believe it was Flowers or Blackthorn I decided to throw darts. There was a gentleman setting down waiting for a game when I walked to the dart area. I pulled my new darts out, assembled them and asked if he was ready for a beating. He pulled out what looked like bolts from a 16th century crossbow. Wooden darts, real feathers for flights and beat me so badly that I decided that I was better at drinking than at throwing darts. Turns out he was a 2 time national dart throwing champion. I visited another pub there called the White Swan, locals called it the Mucky Duck. It was livelier, more people my age but of the two the Portsea will hold my thoughts. The history, the camaraderie and the general atmosphere. I've been told I have an old soul, guess its true.
Aaron Parker (August 2020)
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Picture source: Darkstar