For many visitors to the Isle of Wight, East Cowes will be their first port of call, since the Red Funnel car ferry docks here, delivering its passengers from Southampton straight into the town centre.
East Cowes is the home of Osborne House and was once a maritime industrial town and former home of British Hovercraft. One of the most arresting landmarks many people will see, as they approach from the ferry, is the vast Union Jack painted onto the shore side doors of the old hovercraft factory. Now, East Cowes is a small but busy town with a cluster of popular shops and a stunning marina development.