Cowes

Cowes
Cowes Parade
Cowes is located in Isle of Wight
Cowes
Cowes
Location within the Isle of Wight
Area2.8 km2 (1.1 sq mi) [1]
Population14,370 (2021 Census)
• Density5,132/km2 (13,290/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSZ493958
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
  • Isle of Wight
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCOWES
Postcode districtPO31
Dialling code01983
PoliceHampshire and Isle of Wight
FireHampshire and Isle of Wight
AmbulanceIsle of Wight
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Isle of Wight
50°45′34″N 1°18′01″W / 50.7595°N 1.3002°W / 50.7595; -1.3002

Cowes (/kz/) is an English seaport town and civil parish[3] on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry.

Cowes has a population of 14,370 according to the 2021 Census.[4]

Charles Godfrey Leland's 19th-century verses describe the towns poetically as "The two great Cowes that in loud thunder roar/This on the eastern, that the western shore".

Cowes has been seen as a home for international yacht racing since the founding of the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1815. It gives its name to the world's oldest regular regatta, Cowes Week, which occurs annually in the first week of August. Later, powerboat races are held.

Much of the town's architecture is still heavily influenced by the style of ornate building that Prince Albert popularised.

  1. ^ Office of National Statistics: QS102EW - Population density. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Homepage - Cowes Town Council". www.cowestowncouncil.org.uk.
  3. ^ English Parishes & Welsh Communities N&C 2004 Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Cowes". City Population. Retrieved 16 September 2023.