Cowes Victoria Pier (Historic)

Cowes residents were certain that their town should still have a pier despite the loss of Royal Pier. Since only the regular ferries stopped at Fountain Pier, most pleasure steamers went to Bournemouth, Swanage and Poole instead of Cowes, despite the fact that doing so would raise Cowes’ profile.

Cowes lost out on tourism revenue because the Southampton, Isle of Wight, and South England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company demanded exorbitant fees from any other ferry that wanted to dock at their port.

• http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/IOW-Piers.html#anchor3556540
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A507160#victoria

• Postcards and images kindly supplied by Roy Richardson Collection