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The 150-year-old Royal Navy Rum Store in Victoria Quay, Gosport, is due to be turned into a mixed use development housing businesses and a restaurant - complete with a rooftop terrace bar boasting panoramic views of Portsmouth Harbour. It will be partly demolished and renovated as a result.
Plans have been submitted to Gosport Borough Council to change the Grade II listed building, with the restoration expected to start in June. Renovations will take roughly two years to complete. Projections are that £11m will be generated on a yearly basis from increased footfall and other sources, with 150-200 jobs being created. The local authority also wants to open up the waterfront and create a route to Clarence Yard.
Gosport Borough Council was awarded £18m of government levelling up funding (LUF) in November last year, with the whole revamp expected to cost £22m. The building was built to store alcohol, sugar and beer so sailors at Portsmouth Naval Base could get their rum rations. It was a vibrant hub of activity in Victorian era and subsequent years, but by the 1970s, it fell into disrepair.
UK Docks maritime services took up ownership of the site in 2019, with hours of labour taking place to bring the project to life and maintain the building. At one point, the site was close to being deemed as too uneconomical to repair and being demolished altogether. Vegetation was growing at an alarming rate from the building, with several parts of the site being left in a sorry state. Big sections of the structure were falling down at the time, but with architects analysing the site and the main contractor being found, the Rum Store could soon become a striking new location for businesses.
The News were given a guided tour of the building. Here are several pictures showing what it’s like on the inside.
1. Royal Navy Rum Store tour
The old Royal Navy Rum Store, a 150-year-old Grade II listed building, is due to be transformed into a mixed-use development with businesses and shops in Gosport. After being heavily used in Victorian times, it has since been left in a dilapidated state. | Sarah Standing (140225-9447)
2. Royal Navy Rum Store tour
The old Royal Navy Rum Store, a 150-year-old Grade II listed building, is due to be transformed into a mixed-use development with businesses and shops in Gosport. After being heavily used in Victorian times, it has since been left in a dilapidated state. | Sarah Standing (140225-9455)
3. Royal Navy Rum Store tour
The old Royal Navy Rum Store, a 150-year-old Grade II listed building, is due to be transformed into a mixed-use development with businesses and shops in Gosport. After being heavily used in Victorian times, it has since been left in a dilapidated state. | Sarah Standing (140225-9495)
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4. Royal Navy Rum Store tour
The old Royal Navy Rum Store, a 150-year-old Grade II listed building, is due to be transformed into a mixed-use development with businesses and shops in Gosport. After being heavily used in Victorian times, it has since been left in a dilapidated state. | Sarah Standing (140225-9575)