The Folly Inn

Past Cowes and on up the Medina River brings you past hundreds of moorings and marina berths to the Folly Inn. The main pontoons are opposite the pub on the starboard hand. There is a pontoon on the port hand, right outside the pub, but it quickly gets filled (and costs a bit more). The pontoons are run by the council so the prices aren't too bad. It's a very popular spot so you may end up rafted 3 or 4 boats out. The Folly Inn has a rather good restaurant and frequently has live entertainment (bands) on a Saturday night. If you don't draw too much, it is possible to anchor on the starboard hand, out of the channel, a little further upstream. Just make sure you are outside the channel buoys because there is still occasional commercial traffic in the form of gravel ships moving at all hours of day and night.

From the pontoons there is a ferry which will take you over to the Inn pontoon and back for a £1(?). It runs all week until about 1700hrs but until midnight on Saturdays (and other busy days). There is also a waterbus which runs down to Cowes, the harbourmaster will know the times and charges.

On the Folly Inn side of the river, there is a pleasant walk along the side of the Medina which will take you all the way to Newport. If you just want a short stroll you can stop off in the Island Harbour Marina where there's a bar come restaurant, open all day, for a coffee and cake. We have also used the dinghy, with engine and/or sail to visit Newport, the Island capital (just don't try it at dead low water).

Walking up the road from the Folly Inn, (take the footpath on the left just before the mobile home site) will take you across the fields to St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham. This was Queen Victoria's local place of worship and is where Uffa Fox is buried.

Guide price

: £7.60 pontoon (28ft 2005).

: £8.50 pontoon (28ft 2007).

: £9.30 pontoon (28ft 2008).

: £10.00 pontoon (28ft 2009).

: £11.00 pontoon (28ft 2011). :£6.00 anchor (28ft 2011)

: £12.00 pontoon (28ft 2012). :£6.00 anchor (28ft 2013)