Fountain Inn, Portsmouth

Built in 1895 to replace an earlier pub of the same name, the Fountain is a typically grand Cogswell design and was originally part of the Pike Spicer Brewery's estate. Now a Grade II listed building, it consists of a single, large U-shaped room, with impressive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, large brass-stemmed ligths fitted to the bar and an attractive original bar-back. The interior is festooned with televisions, including an enormous, multi-panelled screen almost filling one wall of the rear bar area. A collection of football shirts is displayed on the bar-back and the walls are decorated with high-quality black and white images of professional sportsmen in action. There is a covered courtyard where smokers can shelter during inclement weather and there is a separate function room beyond this, which may be hired for private events.