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Mayflower 400 Plymouth Event Programme - Latest Position

In light of the latest UK Government information and guidance regarding coronavirus, we are currently in contact with our many partners, event organisers and host venues in the city to work through the implications on the Mayflower 400 events and activity programme.

Plymouth’s Mayflower 400 events in March, April and May will be cancelled or postponed and we will announce details of what is happening on the Mayflower 400 website and through our social channels as soon as clear guidance is available.

The latest Mayflower 400 events in Plymouth to be cancelled or postponed are as follows:

March

24-25 March - Some Call it Home - Theatre Royal – postponed

April

7 April – Mayflower 400 Sports Quiz – Plymouth Argyle Community Trust – postponed

18 April – Plymouth Albion Takeover Event – Plymouth Argyle Community Trust - postponed

22 April – Sounds of the Ocean City – North Prospect Community Choir - postponed

May

2 May - Mayflower Football Cup – Plymouth Argyle Community Trust – postponed

3 May – North Prospect Community Choir performance - The Box – postponed

4-10 May – Mayflower Ocean Festival – cancelled, with some elements postponed

8-31 May – Plymouth History Festival – postponed

10 May - OSTAR and TWO STAR – postponed May 2021

16 May - Mayflower 400: Legend & Legacy – The Box - postponed

16 May – Piazza Walking and Running Event – Plymouth Argyle Community Trust - postponed

17 May – Mayflower 400 Britain’s Ocean City Half Marathon – postponed

23 May - University of Plymouth Choral Society - postponed

23 May – All Nations Ministries Afternoon Tea Dance - postponed

30 May – Mayflower Big Toddle – Plymouth Argyle Community Trust - postponed

31 May 2020 – YMCA Community Fun Run – Plymouth Argyle Community Trust – postponed

Commenting on the programme, Charles Hackett, Mayflower 400 CEO, said: "It is hugely disappointing that we are going to have to make changes to the programme that people have worked so hard on and that so many have engaged with and supported.

"However, the health and safety of the public and performers is paramount at this time. We will work quickly to provide further clarity on the aspects of Mayflower 400 in the coming days."

The Mayflower team will be talking to community groups involved in the Vital Sparks programme about rescheduling events were applicable.

For ticketed events please speak to the event organiser. More details on the revised schedule will be published as soon as they become available.

For further information on The Box visit theboxplymouth.com

For further information on PCC events visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/visitorsandtourism

Plymouth Hoe, lit up by Illuminate

Mayflower Steps

Plymouth's historic waterfront

Plymouth and the Mayflower story

The Mayflower and Speedwell were 300 miles clear of Land's End when the smaller ship once more began leaking badly and couldn't risk continuing. They turned about for Plymouth.

By this time the cramped and damp passengers had already spent up to six weeks at sea, with a fair wind and good fortune they would have hoped to be closing on their destination by then. The Speedwell was finally declared unfit for the journey. Some of the Pilgrims dropped out; the remainder crowded onto the Mayflower, which required re-provisioning, despite funds running low.

She left on 16 September with up to 30 crew and 102 passengers on board. Just under half of them were Separatists, but all the passengers came from a variety of backgrounds and places all over England and from Leiden in the Netherlands - with lots of different motivations for travelling.

It is believed the Pilgrims arrived in a Plymouth that was maritime town trading with ports and places all over England and the into the Mediterranean. Some of the bustling port of 1620 still survives today with historic buildings such as Island House, the Elizabethan House and the old customs house still standing.

Island House, situated on Southside Street, dates from between 1572 and 1600 and is reputed to be one of the houses the Pilgrims were entertained in prior their departure for the New World.

New Street Plymouth

The Elizabethan House is found on New Street (pictured above) and represented a relatively new area of the town’s development in 1620, as the street dates from 1584, the year English ships sailed to Roanoke and created England’s first colony in America.

The Protestant community were also sympathetic to the Pilgrims cause. Plymouth had a long Protestant tradition and the port had been previously used as a base for fighting Protestant England's war against Catholic Europe.

When the Speedwell and Mayflower anchored in Plymouth, many families in the town had seen their men sail off to fishing grounds in New England and Newfoundland. They were probably aware too that the end of August was too late to set sail across the Atlantic and their men were due to return home.

The ship-builders in Plymouth said the Speedwell was unfit to cross the Atlantic, the Mayflower would therefore have to travel alone. There was not enough room for everyone on board one ship but, by then, some Pilgrims had already lost heart or were simply too weak to continue the journey by sea.

But the Pilgrims pressed on, with a unimaginable difficult journey ahead of them - one that would have consequences for history that they could not have contemplated.

Supported by our national sponsors and funding partners

And our Plymouth founder partners

Plymouth Mayflower Highlights

Mayflower Events
Attractions
Accommodation

03-31 Jan 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in January

Plymouth, England

14 Jan 20

Mayflower 400 - New Year, New Me

Plymouth, England

16 Jan 20

Directions Screening 2: Future Archives

Plymouth, England

01-29 Feb 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in February

Plymouth, England

20 Feb 20

Directions Screening 3: Utopian Landscapes

Plymouth, England

28 Feb 20

We Are Here

Plymouth, England

15 Feb 20

Seth Lakeman: A Pilgrim's Tale Tour (Plymouth)

Plymouth, England

21 Feb 20

Creation Station Craft Workshop - Bill's

Plymouth, England

01 Jun 20

Mayflower Marine Tech Expo

Plymouth, England

24 Jun 20

Plymouth and District Organists’ Association

Plymouth, England

17 Jun 20

Plymouth Symphony Orchestra

Plymouth, England

16-20 Jun 20

This Land

Plymouth, England

20 Jun 20

Stamp Exhibition and Collectors Fair

Plymouth, England

17-19 Jun 20

University of Plymouth: Britain and the World 2020 Conference

Plymouth, England

01-30 Jun 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in June

Plymouth, England

19 Jun 20

Sir Tom Jones in Concert

Plymouth, England

06 Jun 20

Dance the Mayflower Away

Plymouth, England

13 Jun 20

The Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400

Plymouth, England

17 Jun 20

Devon Summer School Games

Plymouth, England

26-28 Jun 20

UK Environmental Law Association Annual Conference

Plymouth, England

05 Jul 20

Plymouth Philharmonic Choir

Plymouth, England

06 Jul-02 Aug 20

Settlement

Plymouth, England

25 Jul 20

Roots Up! by Street Factory

Plymouth, England

12 Jul 20

Drake's Island Swim

Plymouth, England

01-31 Jul 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in July

Plymouth, England

31 Jul 20

Creation Station Craft Workshop - Debenhams

Plymouth, England

12 Jul 20

The Mayflower 400 Drake's Island Paddle

Plymouth, England

15 Jul-09 Aug 20

The 400

Plymouth, England

03-09 Aug 20

Pride 2020

Plymouth, England

09 Aug 20

The Mayflower 400 Breakwater Swim

Plymouth, England

12-13 Aug 20

British Firework Championships

Plymouth, England

01-31 Aug 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in August

Plymouth, England

29 Aug 20

Mayflower International Genealogical Conference

Plymouth, England

12 Aug 20

Bringing History Alive: Learning Through Imagination

Plymouth, England

21 Aug 20

Creation Station Craft Workshop - Baby Roo

Plymouth, England

22-23 Aug 20

The Hatchling

Plymouth, England

14-20 Sep 20

Mayflower Week

Plymouth, England

19-20 Sep 20

Mayflower Muster

Plymouth, England

16 Sep 20

Mayflower Ceremony

Plymouth, England

09-16 Sep 20

Flower and Quilt Festival

Plymouth, England

05 Sep-24 Oct 20

Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America

Plymouth, England

12-13 Sep 20

Plymouth Seafood & Maritime Festival

Plymouth, England

17 Sep 20

The Royal Marines Rehabilitation Triathlon

Plymouth, England

01-30 Sep 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in September

Plymouth, England

04-06 Sep 20

Mayflower Morris Muster

Plymouth, England

19 Sep 20

Creation Station Craft Workshop - Turtle Bay

Plymouth, England

12 Sep 20

Plymouth 1620: The Place, The People, The Evidence

Plymouth, England

01-31 Oct 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in October

Plymouth, England

14 Oct 20

Plymouth Schools Choir Festival

Plymouth, England

22 Nov 19

Directions by Marcy Saude: Decolonial Dreamscapes

Plymouth, England

01-30 Nov 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in November

Plymouth, England

10 Nov 20

Thanksgiving Service at Plymouth Cathedral

Plymouth, England

01-31 Dec 20

Mayflower 400 - Get Active in December

Plymouth, England

28 Nov-01 Dec 19

Illuminate Plymouth 2019

Plymouth, England

12 Dec 19

Political Economy and Atlantic Ecology: Why Silk Failed in Early America

Plymouth, England

Mayflower Museum

Visitor Attraction

The Mayflower Museum explores the story of the voyage of the Pilgrims and their journey aboard the Mayflower.

The Black Friars Plymouth Gin Distillery

Visitor Attraction

The oldest working gin distillery in England. The Pilgrims are thought to have dined here on the eve of the Mayflower departure.

The Mayflower Steps

Monument / Memorial

A monument to commemorate and mark the departure of the Mayflower ship from Plymouth in 1620.

Smeaton's Tower

Visitor Attraction

Smeaton's Tower is a memorial to celebrated civil engineer John Smeaton, designer of the third and most notable Eddystone Lighthouse.

Mount Edgcumbe House & Country Park

Park / Open Space

Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is listed as Grade I on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

The National Marine Aquarium

Visitor Attraction

The National Marine Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the United Kingdom.

Royal William Yard

Historic Site

The Royal William Victualling Yard was the major victualling depot of the Royal Navy and an important adjunct of Devonport Dockyard.

Saltram House

Visitor Attraction

Refined Georgian house with a notable interior, period furnishings, porcelain and smart grounds.

Select South West Tours

Guided Walking Tour

Delivering luxurious, customisable trips For private groups.

The Box

Visitor Attraction

The Box, a state of the art museum, will open in 2020 as the flagship building for the Mayflower 400 commemorations.

Adult tickets start at £8

Plymouth Walking Tours

Guided Walking Tour

Explore the historic city of Plymouth with the expert guides from Devon & Cornwall Tour Guides

Buckfast Abbey

Visitor Attraction

Nestled on the southern slopes of Dartmoor, in a beautiful wooded valley beside the river Dart, Buckfast Abbey offers visitors a tranquil refuge from the hectic pace of everyday life.

Crowne Plaza Plymouth

Hotel

Overlooking Plymouth Hoe's greenery and the coastline, the Crowne Plaza Plymouth is less than 10 minutes' walk from Plymouth city centre. Panoramic views across the Plymouth Sound bay feature in the 11th-floor dining room.

Jurys Inn Plymouth

Hotel

In the heart of the city centre adjacent to Plymouth's historic tourist quarter and shopping centre.

New Continental Hotel

Hotel

The New Continental Hotel’s central location makes it easy to explore Plymouth's maritime delights.

Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa

Hotel

The 5-star Boringdon Hall Hotel and Spa is situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park and just five minutes from Plymouth.

Copthorne Hotel

Hotel

The Copthorne Hotel Plymouth offers spectacular views towards the historic Barbican and Hoe areas.

The Grosvenor Plymouth

Bed & Breakfast

Originally built in 1879 this beautiful Victorian property has been welcoming guests since 1990.

The Duke of Cornwall Hotel

Hotel

Set in the heart of Britain’s Ocean City, the Duke of Cornwall is a stunning period hotel brimming with character and style.

Premier Inn Sutton Harbour

Hotel

Dream of life on the open waves with Premier Inn Hotel Plymouth City Centre (Sutton Harbour). Just minutes from Plymouth's bustling shops and buzzing nightlife you're in a great location.

Travelodge Plymouth

Hotel

Travelodge Plymouth is in the heart of the city, a short walk from the breathtaking views of Plymouth Sound from Hoe Park.

1620

Hotel

1620 will be a landmark redevelopment on the iconic facade of Plymouth Hoe.

St Anne's House

Hotel

St Anne’s House is the perfect country retreat for your special event, party or relaxing getaway, offering you exclusive use. This wonderful Plymouth venue is within a stone’s throw of a golf course and also provides stunning sea views.