India Arms

The India Arms is a public house with elements dating to the early 20th century, located on Great Southsea Street in Southsea, Portsmouth. The north part of the building was designed in 1902 by A.E. Cogswell, while the south part, originally a fishmonger and game shop dating to 1900, was incorporated into the public house around 1980.

The north section is constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with an interlocking tiled roof and brick stacks on either side. The south section is painted and features yellow brick also in a Flemish bond pattern. The roof of the south section is obscured.

The north part’s front elevation features a wide, recessed timber transomed and mullioned pub front, with fixed glazing, three lights wide at the front and a single light to each side. The lights are divided by slim moulded pilasters reaching to the transom level, and the central light has a semicircular broken head with ornate moulded spandrels. Etched patterned glass is present in each light, with painted brickwork below the sills. Either side of the central bay, within the recessed area, are four-panelled, half-glazed doors with overlights, also with etched patterned glass. Within the recess of each entrance are patterned tile murals displaying the date 1902. Pilasters feature quoins with moulded caps. A fascia and dentilled cornice run along the top. The first floor has rusticated stone quoins and two canted tripartite oriels, each containing four-pane sash windows and narrower flanking sashes separated by pilasters. A semicircular gauged brick arch with a moulded hood and keystone tops the facade, with a stuccoed infill containing a leaf motif sculpted relief. The building has a stone-coped brick half gable, brickwork, a semicircular stone apex with a sculptured shell relief, a moulded stone coped brick parapet.

The south section displays a late 20th-century front infill with a blinded doorway and overlight at centre, and projecting canted casements to either side with brick on edge below the sills. Flanking brick pilasters feature heavy moulded leaf motif capitals and dentilled caps. A fascia and cornice are present. The first floor has two recessed, unequal four-pane sashes set within flat, gauged brick arches with moulded stone architraves. Stone pilasters with dentilled caps and fluted shafts, and a base with a semicircular top, flank the windows. A moulded cornice and stone parapet with moulded copping top the elevation, with a small stone pediment over each pilaster. A recessed stone pediment with a ball finial and the date 1900 is centrally positioned.

The interior features two tiled murals by Carters of Poole, one depicting a game shooting scene and the other fishing boats and fishermen.