Mayflower Steps, Plymouth

On 22 July 1620, the ship Speedwell set sail from Holland, bound for Southampton, England. Speedwell had to join up with the ship Mayflower. The two ships would then sail together for North America. Due to bad weather in the English Channel, Speedwell was anchored in Plymouth, seeking shelter and essential repairs. The Gin Distillery and the Island House had accommodated the passengers before sailing for one or more nights.

Speedwell was declared unfit. Some of the passengers were to go on the Mayflower. On a morning in early September 1620, the Puritan and Separatist passengers walked down to the quayside steps and boarded the Mayflower, commanded by Christopher Jones. The wind was good, and they set out to meet their destiny.

The Mayflower Steps are located on the West Pier in the Barbican section of Plymouth. The actual site of departure is the best estimate, based upon where the Victorian public house, Admiral MacBride, stands today. These days, boat trips leave the steps for tours up Plymouth Sound and the River Tamar "Dockyard and Warships."

The departure site is marked by a portico of Doric columns made from Portland stone. The memorial, built in 1934, sits on a small pier from the 19th century. A railed platform over the water is holding a bronze memorial plaque.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Plymouth. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Sight Name: Mayflower Steps
Sight Location: Plymouth, England (See walking tours in Plymouth)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Plymouth, England

Create Your Own Walk in Plymouth

Creating your own self-guided walk in Plymouth is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Pilgrim Fathers Trail

Back in the early 17th century, a group of English Puritans 鈥� nowadays reverently referred to as the Pilgrim Fathers 鈥� fled religious persecution in their homeland and established a colony in North America that later became known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims embarked on their perilous journey across the Atlantic from Plymouth, England in 1620 aboard a ship called the Mayflower,... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.5 Km or 0.3 Miles

Plymouth Introduction Walking Tour

Plymouth's early history began in the Bronze Age when the first settlement emerged at Mount Batten. It is mentioned in Ptolemy's Geographia as a maritime outpost exporting bronze mirrors.

The settlement was a major port in the southwest of England in Roman times. It was surpassed as a port in the ninth century by the nearby wealthier village of Sutton, later called Plymouth.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles

Plymouth Hoe Walking Tour

Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south-facing open public space in Plymouth with commanding views of Plymouth Sound, Drake's Island, and further afield into Cornwall. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word hoh, which means a sloping ridge shaped like an inverted foot and heel.

This part of town has always been a meeting place, where people would come regularly... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.7 Km or 0.4 Miles

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