East Cowes Hookups: East Cowes Women Want to Meet

East Cowes hookups start with a ride on the chain ferry

The Cowes Floating Bridge is a chain ferry, one of the few left that hasn't been replaced by a fixed bridge, and it carries people across the River Medina between East Cowes and Cowes throughout the day. That short crossing is the first thing to know about hooking up here: the town next door is a hop away, and the mainland is a ferry ride beyond.

East Cowes itself has about 8,400 people on the east bank of the river, and it's home to Norris Castle and to Osborne House, once a royal summer residence. Even the name has a story: it began with sandbanks on the Medina said to look like cows, passed to the Tudor forts built against a French invasion, and replaced an older name, Shamblord. The Isle of Wight Coastal Path runs straight through town, and buses link it with Ryde and Newport. A daylight stroll along that stretch of the path makes an easy first meeting: public, with a view, and a clear way to end it if you want to.

Three steps from East Cowes to a first meeting

1. Start next door. Cowes is half a mile away over the Medina, the closest place to meet that isn't your own street.
2. Decide who crosses the water. Gosport is about seven and a half miles away and Portsmouth just over nine, with Fareham, Hythe and Southsea in between at eight to nine. Whoever makes the crossing, check how they'll get home before you commit to a time.
3. Choose somewhere with people about. Tell a friend where you'll be and when you expect to be back, and keep our hookup safety tips to hand for the sensible habits.