A tale of two Plymouths
As the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s epic voyage approaches, these cities on opposite sides of the Atlantic are gearing up to mark the occasion
PLYMOUTH, DEVON Fred Mawer
Of all the places in England with Mayflower associations, Plymouth tops the bill. It was from the Devon city that the Mayflower departed with its 102 passengers and 30 crew, voyaging across the Atlantic to the New World almost 400 years ago.
But Plymouth’s link is purely accidental. Having originally set sail from Dartmouth, the Pilgrims were 300 miles past Land’s End when the Speedwell, the smaller sister ship accompanying the Mayflower, began to leak and the ships were forced to turn back, docking in Plymouth.
Here, the Speedwell was abandoned and the larger ship set sail once more on Sept 6 1620. At least, that is the date according to the Julian calendar used at the time – the Mayflower 400 commemorations are taking the anniversary day as next Wednesday, Sept 16, the date adjusted to today’s Gregorian calendar.
While most of the commemorative programme in England has been postponed to 2021, The Box (theboxplymouth.com), Plymouth’s multi-million-pound new heritage museum, is set to open on Sept 29 featuring a year-long exhibition, Mayflower 400: Legend & Legacy.
Judging by my sneak peek last month, the museum promises to be excellent, setting the journey in a wider historical context, addressing colonisation issues head-on, and featuring a 60 per cent scale replica of the ship. It will also host a permanent gallery focusing on maritime journeys that began in Plymouth, including by the likes of Sir Francis Drake, Captain Cook and Charles Darwin.
Also confronting the issue of colonialism is the new art installation, Speedwell, whose illuminated messaging challenges the idea that there was ever a “new world”. This imposing artwork has appeared on the Mount Batten Breakwater overlooking Plymouth Sound, and will be there until November (stillmoving. org/projects/speedwell).
Nearby, the modest Mayflower Museum (found above the tourist office in the Barbican) is worth a visit for those eager to discover more key details of the ship’s story, while the Mayflower Steps memorial is a striking, pillared portico built in the 1930s. It’s worth noting that the ship wouldn’t have actually sailed from
this spot, as the pier didn’t exist back in 1620. Instead the specific embarkation point is more likely to have been just beneath where the Admiral MacBride pub (admiralmacbride.com) now stands. Other Mayflower-related sights around the cobbled streets of the Barbican and Sutton Harbour also come with historical caveats and are best explored by following the free Mayflower Trail app (visitplymouth.co.uk). This hour-long walk, with newly-erected information boards, takes you to some impressive, off-the-beaten-track medieval merchants’ houses.
Finish your stroll at Jacka Bakery (38 Southside Street). Claimed to be the oldest working bakery in Britain, it has been around since 1597, and it has been suggested that the Mayflower may have been stocked up with the biscuits made here. Whether that is true or not, it’s worth indulging the suggestion – if only for the delicious croissants and sourdough loaves on sale.
PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS Kathy Arnold
Recently renovated, the Mayflower II sits on Plymouth’s waterfront, a fullsize replica of the original square-rigger that carried the Pilgrims to new lives in a new land. All spruced up and shipshape, the vessel will be taking centre stage for the 400th anniversary commemorations, offering visitors a feel for the conditions that the men, women, children and animals experienced during their voyage.
Travelling mostly down below, on the tween deck, in a dark, cramped space, some 70 feet long and five and a half feet high, the Pilgrims spent 66 days rolling through North Atlantic storms. Nearby, what looks like a Greek temple enshrines a granite boulder. Carved with “1620”, Plymouth Rock marks the spot where they first stepped ashore – or so the story goes.
What is true is that the Pilgrims built a community here by the harbour and reminders of the past can be found everywhere. Even the street names, such as Brewster and Carver, recall Mayflower passengers and some of the earliest homes still stand. The oldest, the Richard Sparrow House, dates from 1640 while Mayflower passengers actually lived in the Jabez Howland House. In the Harlow House, comforts à la 1677 include a brick hearth, an oven and wooden floorboards. But, as in Old England, many of the centuries-old buildings have new uses, from art galleries to cafés, offices and homes.
What the newcomers dubbed Plymouth was called Patuxet by the indigenous Wampanoag. Not surprisingly, conflicts arose and Cole’s Hill exemplifies the issues. This was the Pilgrims’ first burial ground, but for the tribe, this was – and still is – sacred land. A few steps from the headstones stands a bronze statue of Massasoit, the Wampanoag leader who saved the new arrivals from starvation. His memorial is now a gathering place for Native Americans, especially on their National Day of Mourning – Thanksgiving Day. While they remember injustices of the past, most Americans are sitting down to pumpkin pie and turkey.
In recent years, the narrative of America’s history pageant has changed to reflect a more accurate depiction of history, with bigger roles for indigenous peoples. New, and still a work-inprogress, is the Plymouth Tapestry at Pilgrim Hall Museum (pilgrimhall.org). Across 20 panels, this Bayeux-style needlework project commemorates the anniversary with a colourful, stitched depiction of the two cultures. This is a must-see, along with treasures that belonged to the settlers.
The link between Native Americans and colonists continues at the Plimoth Grist Mill on Town Brook. When the Old World’s wheat and barley failed to thrive, the English learned from the Wampanoag and corn became a staple.
But while delving into the past is easy, “America’s Hometown” is also firmly set in the 21st century. An hour south of Boston, Plymouth is a popular seaside resort, with sailing boats and ferries, ice cream parlours and shops. Whale watching cruises head out from the harbour and working fishing boats return, often laden with lobster. There is no better place for a lobster roll than Wood’s Seafood on Town Pier. As the sun begins to set, if you look out across the water, you can almost picture the Mayflower heading for shore, with the first Pilgrims on board.
The ship’s departure point is likely to have been beneath where the Admiral MacBride pub now stands