Cowes Port Handbook 2014-2015 April 2014 | Page 58

COWES PORT HANDBOOK 2014 - 2015

Cowes Hammerhead Crane

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Standing proud on the Cowes skyline is the 1912 hammerhead dockyard
crane, a magnificent symbol of Cowes’ marine industrial heritage and the
many ships, aircraft and hovercraft that have been built on both sides of
the Medina River. This 80 ton crane was designed by Babcock and Wilcox
and ordered by Cowes shipbuilder J. Samuel White in 1911 and came
into use the following year. It is the only remaining pre-World War One
hammerhead crane in England.

Northwood House

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Northwood House is an early Victorian Grade II listed house with
beautifully painted function rooms, surrounded by parkland, which
occupies a prime position above Cowes town. It was built in the early
19th century for the Ward family, in whose hands it remained until 1929.
In that year the house was presented by the family to the then Cowes
Urban District Council, while the 26-acre park was given ‘for the use and
benefit of the people of Cowes’. This iconic residence is a popular venue
for events such as weddings, parties, dinners, and conferences. The park
is surrounded by a wall of Bembridge limestone and includes St Mary’s
Church with its landmark clock tower designed by John Nash.
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