Fratton, Portsmouth

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Fratton
population =
lieutenancy_england= Hampshire
unitary_england= Portsmouth
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Portsmouth South
post_town= PORTSMOUTH
postcode_district= PO1
postcode_area= PO
dial_code= 023
os_grid_reference= SU655005
latitude= 50.8008
longitude= -1.0711

Fratton is a residential and formerly industrial area of Portsmouth, Hampshire. It consists of mostly Victorian terraced houses, and is typical of the residential areas in the city. In the past it housed a huge railway depot, but this has mostly been dismantled now, making way for a shopping complex and the redevelopment of Portsmouth F.C.'s stadium, Fratton Park.

There is also a modest shopping centre on Fratton Road, called The Bridge, which is dominated by a large ASDA supermarket, and in atmosphere reflects the working class roots of the neighbourhood, with local, low-budget shops and cafes.

Fratton is also one of the four railway stations on Portsea Island. Due to its location as the last stop before the main Portsmouth railway station (Portsmouth & Southsea) Fratton has been adopted in naval slang as a euphemism for the withdrawal method of contraception "getting off at Fratton"fact|date=November 2007.

History

Goldsmith's Farm and Fratton Common were part of the original small rural village originally called Froddington, the only visible evidence of this being the presence of a public house, "The Froddington Arms" on the western side of Fratton Road. Due to developments during the Industrial age, more of the surrounding land was absorbed by Portsmouth in the 1870s and 1880s, principally by new housing developments.