h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a very interesting topic the castles, as I remember my Late father saying that Cowes got it,s name from the word "cowe" or hid from the french inside a fort. Hence one was built at West Cowes and
one at East Cowes, The East Cowes Castle was I believe called Norris Castle. The name used by the Red Funnel Shipping Co. The other name
as you put it was The Royal Yacht Sqadron. Another thing I found
interesting about Cowes was Northwood house. It also was around Henry
viii'th time. the story is that it was used as some sort of religious
establishment, and to move around undetected there was a series of tunnels thet went from the house to the gate house (that is just above
the sqadron, also out in the grounds there were entrances that went down into the gound by steps but you could never get down as it wastotaly filled with leaves. Also it was said that a tunnel went all the way to Egyet house that also belongedto the Ward Family. I have no idea how true these stories are, but I do know as young boy I with others think we found the entrance to the tunnel, As we were always finding that it had been bricked up yet again. It is something that has intriqued me to this day, wondering if what we as children did
all those years ago was really true after all I hope someone might
beable to help solve this for me Or better still bring me to England
and I will show you where these places were Vectusian

The original East Cowes castle disappeared - the Norris Castle was not built until much later - I think either the 17th or 18th centuries - and a second East Cowes Castle was built by John Nash in the Victorian era.
I don't know anything abour Northwood House - but I was from Sandown so always played in Battery Gardens.

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