Gosport pub marks 290th birthday with charity fundraiser and discounted pints

A Gosport pub that once welcomed Admiral Lord Nelson as a regular will celebrate its 290th birthday this weekend, as the building was first licensed as a tavern in 1736.

The Fox Tavern on North Street in Gosport will hold a party on Saturday November 14 to celebrate the special occasion, raising money for the charity Save a Warrior UK.

The pub, licensed to Peter Street and Chantelle Cheshire, is a Grade 2 listed and is reportedly the oldest pub in Gosport. Historically a naval pub due to its Gosport location, the pub welcomed Lord Nelson as a drinker, and it is also rumoured that the cellars of the pub hid a secret smugglers’ passage, where rum was sneaked in through for sailors to drink.

Sign up for our free emails for all of the local news and sport headlines

The anniversary celebrations will kick off at 11am on November 14, including the burying of a time capsule, a comment book for regulars to leave messages and live music. There will also be fundraising competitions including the classic ‘how many in the jar’ games to raise money for Save a Warrior UK, a charity that supports serving and veteran military and emergency services personnel experiencing mental health difficulties. The pub will also be selling limited edition t-shirts with profits going to the charity.

Admiral Taverns, who owns the pub, will also donate £1000 into a bar tab for the celebrations, meaning customers who visit on Saturday will get £1 off all pints and house doubles.

Peter Street, who helps to run the pub, said: "In today's day and age we are delighted that the Fox Tavern has reached its 290th birthday. Over the years the pub has gone through lots of change, but having been at the pub for a few months now we felt it was only fitting for us to hold a big birthday party to mark the occasion.

“We're looking forward to people coming down to the pub, and our time capsule will hopefully provide an interesting record of the pub for people to look back on."

Matt Obrey, Business Development Manager for Admiral Taverns, said: "This is a really impressive achievement for the pub and it is great to see Peter and Chantelle using this milestone to support the local area and provide a really fun day for the local community to enjoy.

“Pubs thrive on the merits of the licensees and the local community and here's hoping it will still be going in another 290 years!"