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Town in Isle of Wight, England
Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Cowes is a town on the Isle of Wight in southern England. It is a lovely beach and a wonderful place to visit if you are on holiday to the Isle of Wight.
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Although officially a summer home for Queen Victoria, she used it as her main residence for some time after the death of Prince Albert, her husband. Now owned and operated by English Heritage, most of the well-preserved house and grounds are open to visitors year-round. Visitors planning to visit both Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle should consider becoming members of English Heritage; it can work out cheaper than buying individual tickets for family groups and allows free access to all other English Heritage properities for the rest of the year.
Famous for the many colours of sand which appear naturally on the beach. A traditional souvenir of the Isle of Wight is a picture or glass paperweight filled with the different colours - there are many stalls where you can get the wherewithal to make your own if you are so inclined. The bay is close to The Needles (see below) and accessible by stairs or by a ski resort-style chairlift.
The biggest yacht racing regatta in the world, started in 1823, with about 1000 yachts competing. There is a firework display on the Friday evening.
Old English Inns
Superb restaurant with 3 rooms in Scandi style. Open mid-Feb to Oct and mid-Nov to mid-Dec.
Excellent well-run small hotel, comfy, stylish and great cooking.
A chain ferry, the Floating Bridge, runs across the river between the two towns; cars £3, foot passengers £1 (from 1/4/23). To drive by road requires a ten mile trip through Newport.
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Southampton · Regional · SOU
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