Hole in the Wall, Southsea

This is a classy freehouse in a compact building just off the trendy Castle Road. You enter into a small front seating area with a tiled floor and some fixed bench seating supplemented by standard chairs. Books have been arranged along the backs of the benches and a high shelf runs around this part of the room, displaying a collection of pewter tankards and the like whilst the walls are covered with numerous pictures, mostly of a nautical theme. Some dark wood, hop-lined partitioning separates this pleasant front seating area from the slightly raised, bare boarded bar area beyond. The servery, hidden behind the partitioning over to the left, has a tongue and grove counter and a simple bar back with a set of sweet jars on show. A couple of tables with low stools have been squeezed in opposite, near a shelf stacked with board games and magazines whilst some huge pews can be found over to the right under some more old photos and collected items such as old marmalade jars. Moving past the bar, you reach the final area - a smart looking space with a few more seats under some William Morris style wallpaper which accentuates a fireplace on this side. Throughout the pub, a remarkable pump clip collection has spread out across the ceiling from the bar area. The pub has two regular ales from local brewers - Langham Arapaho and Oakleaf Hole Hearted - with the former served on gravity and the latter having originally been brewed especially for the pub. Guests on this visit were Waen Summit and Nowt, Urban Island High and Dry and 360 Degrees Best Bitter. One other beer was still conditioning and the landlord reversed the clip after trying a sample. I tried the Best Bitter which was a good first pint of the day and in very good shape. This is a great little pub which seems to champion local beers and offers a warm and welcoming bolt-hole where I could quite easily see myself losing hours over the good beer and ambiance. This visit was early in the day and I would be interested to pop in again on a busy evening to see how this dynamic works in such a confined space.

Great little multi level ale house, seven beers on, five pumps plus two on stillage featuring beers from Langhams and Oakleaf amongst others,my choice of local brewery, Urban Island 28 Porter was top notch.A pub to return to. Note - doesn't open until 2pm on a Sunday.