A historic, boarded up pub could be saved as signs erected show that the search for a new tenant continues.
Eagle-eyed residents spotted that the Ice House on Warren Avenue was being secured on December 6, 2024, with some social media users wondering if the pub would be closed for good.
But now signs stuck up outside the pub show that landlord Stonegate Pub Company is still searching for a new tenant.
The second-storey sign reads 'publican wanted,' including a phone number underneath for any hopeful locals to call.
Stonegate continues to list the venue on its website, estimating that the pub can turnover £281,600 a year.
Stonegate's website describes The Ice House as ' traditionally decorated,' boasting 'an airy bar' with seating for up to 30 people and a 'pool table, darts board and games machine.'
READ MORE: The much-loved back street boozer with quirky décor and secret garden
The Ice House was built in 1912 as a beer house for Fuller, Smith and Turner’s Brewery, before eventually getting a license to become a pub in 1937.
The pub got its quirky name because it stands on the site of old ice pits, where ice was taken from Shirley Pond and stored in the basement.
Residents were left saddened when the pub was boarded up at the end of 2024 but the venue looks set to reopen once new management is found.
But despite being the closest watering hole to Southampton General Hospital, the pub had a divided reputation.
READ MORE: This popular community pub is set to reopen following a £240,000 refurb
A Shirley resident, who asked to stay anonymous, said: “I never went in there as an adult, even though I still lived nearby.
Other posts on social media called for the pub to be "given back to the Warreners" as the search for a new tenant begins.
Brass Monkey on Shirley Road, as well as venues including The Bedford, The Lion, Popworld, Yates and Slug and Lettuce, all fall under Stonegate's umbrella.
