The Bittern, Bitterne

This pub totally fascinated me when I first visited it around 2015-2016. The building itself was fascinating, its interior was fascinating, the condition it was in was fascinating, its history was fascinating, and the stand the locals were taking to keep it open were fascinating. I thought I had lost the original pictures I took, but I just found these.

I was sure I had written a long and detailed piece on the history of the place as I remember doing a lot of research and writing it up. But I can't find it. I may have typed it into my blog then lost it. That happens to me more frequently than it should, and a number of pubs have little or no comment on them because I may have spent an hour or more doing some research and typing it in, only to have some glitch or some mistake by me make the whole lot vanish. And I then lose heart in doing it all again.

I will come back and write some more about the history of this place. At the moment it is closed because of an incident this year (2019) in which a man was killed. I'll look into if there is a possibility that it will be reopened, because while the refurbishment that the pub had (and needed) took away a lot of the original charm, there was still enough of interest in the place to make it an attractive place to come. And they had a lovely play area outside for the kids, and did food.

Date: June 2019  Score: 8 

Update: Appears to be open again according to the pub's Facebook page.
 
Date: July 2019

Popped in with Myles for lunch. Two casks. Decent pub food. Friendly staff. Good clean interior, though has lost some character. 

Date: March 2020    Score: 5 


Large beer garden at the back is open for food and drink. 

Date: April 2021 


The Bittern  -
26 Thornhill Park Road 
SO18 5TQ

Punch

Children allowed until the evening.
Meals all day

11 to 11 Mon to Sat
12 to 10.30 Sun


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Pubs in Bitterne

Mountbatten, West Southampton

I'd tried several times previously to review the Mountbatten, but each time I'm in the area and come here it's closed. But success today. It's a modern pub built as part of the local shopping area on the edge of a residential part of West Southampton, and owned and run by Star Pubs (Heineken). Place is a little tatty, though not dirty. No food available on my visit, a Saturday. No cask, but four or five kegs (the barmaid says the keg pumps are new and messed up so some of what is showing is not available).  Barmaid is friendly and lively, and the guys at the bar are chatty. The place may be mostly empty but the people inside create a warm and welcoming working class vibe. Music is a tad loud, but it all feels appropriate. This is very much a locals pub, and it feels like a place on its last legs, but pubs like this are the corner stone of local communities. It's not a place I'm likely to recommend or even return to now I've at last reviewed it, but I recognise its value, and it will be missed when it eventually drags down to its inevitable close. It needs someone with good business sense, enthusiasm and deep pockets to sort out. I hope it gets someone, but somehow I doubt it as the general condition of the pub, as indicated on a Star Pubs report, is poor.

It was built in the 1980s at the same time as the shopping area. In 2016 when it was owned by Punch Taverns, it closed suddenly. But, obviously, later reopened. 

Ambiance

Date: June 2019   Score: 4


Lordshill District Centre
SO16 8HY

Open:   Noon to 11pm
Meals:  Sunday Noon to 4pm (perhaps?)


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The View Bar, Upper Shirley

A sort of 1930s Art Deco garden shed behind the bowling green of Southampton's sports centre. It is rather sparse and austere, and has the feel of a working man's social club. In my visit there are two groups of tables pushed together suitable for two groups of twelve to sit and eat, which are reserved. The rest of the room has low tables, most of which are grouped in the centre for a party of cyclists. Nobody is eating. There's a nice hubbub of conversation, but also loud music from one corner and sports tv from the opposite corner. Children are allowed.

One cask, Doom Bar, served in indifferent condition. Some biscuits and cake are on sale on the counter.

Ambience - or lack of.....

It's an OK place. If you're here for the sports centre then this will do, and I should imagine it's OK for locals as well, but it does feel more bar than pub, and is not really a place worth seeking out.

Ariel shot from a drone

Date: June 2019   Score: 4 


Sports Centre 

Thornhill Road
Southampton
SO16 7AY

Open: 11am to 10.30pm (8pm Sundays)
Meals: 10am to 3pm, and 5am to 9pm

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Hop Inn, Bitterne

Visited in December 2014 when the place didn't do food, and left a review on BeerInTheEvening:

Corner location 1930s red brick pub. Nice homely feel to this locals' pub. Place is smaller inside than appears from outside. Decor is tired and rather like your nan's house. It has its charm, but will appeal mainly to the elderly - who are the only other customers on my visit. No food - just crisps, apart from Wednesday evening, when there is a curry night. Three casks - Doom, HSB, and a Bowman. Free wifi - password is behind the bar. I quite like the place, but its charms are limited, and - other than being an outlet for the excellent Bowman beers, I wouldn't recommend you to go out of your way to come here; but if you're in the area, then yes, drop in. Dec 2014

Built by Brickwoods Ltd, a now closed Portsmouth brewery, in the 1930s. The pub passed to Whitbread & Co when Whitbread bought out Brickwoods in 1971. It is currently owned by Enterprise Inns (now called the Ei Group), who bought this and over 1,800 other pubs from Whitbread in 2002. 

The rather quaint chintzy interior

Date: Dec2014   Score: 6

The ambience 

The rather nice beers

Visited with Myles for one of our regular pub lunch meet ups. It's a tidy place. Serves food and decent beers. Clean and well kept. Myles liked it rather more than I did. I liked it also, but was held back by the rather chintzy look of the place which makes it feel more like an old people's home than a pub.

Date: June 2019   Score: 6


As of April 2021, open for drinks only in limited outside seating - beer garden accessible via public bar. Limited hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 3pm to 9pm; Friday to Sunday: 1pm to 8pm (maybe later). 

Date: April 2021 


 

 

 

Popped in for lunch, but we're the only customers, and there's no cooked food. The very helpful and pleasant lad behind the bar does us a couple of sandwiches/baguettes. 

 

Local beers

Each time I've been in the Hop Inn has served local beers. On this visit it was Stoke by the Eastleigh brewery, Steam Town. The place does have the feel of an old people's home, but we felt comfortable. Sad that with no other customers and no hot food on offer it's likely this is a place we'll be giving a skip in future. 


Date: July 2022   Score: 5  


Beers drunk: Ramsbury Milk Stout;  Alfred's Saxon Bronze;   Steam Town Stoke; 


199 Woodmill Lane
Southampton
SO18 2PH

Open: Noon to 11pm
Food: Noon to 2.30, 5 - 9 Tue - Fri


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Enterprise Inns (Ei Group)