Mayflower 400 in England

On arrival meet with your professional tour guide for the journey to Southampton and check-in to our hotel. In the afternoon, our local expert guide will take us on a guided walk describing Southampton as it would have been in 1620. We will hear about the provisioning of the Speedwell and Mayflower ships, and see their departure point. This is now commemorated with a Pilgrim Fathers Memorial, which was unveiled in 1913. We will tour the Tudor House and Garden, which existed at the time of the Pilgrims’ departure. Overnight stay in Hampshire.

After breakfast we will travel to nearby Dartmouth, which is where the Mayflower and the Speedwell had to dock for repairs. We will enjoy a River Cruise, and see Bayard’s Cove Harbour. The Pilgrims would still recognize the Tudor Bayard’s Cover Fort, St. Saviour’sChurch, Smith Street and other areas around the waterfront. We will have some free time to explore on our own Overnight stay in Plymouth.

Spend a full day exploring Plymouth. We will tour the city with a local step on guide to visit The Box exhibition on The Mayflower Story, see the Mayflower steps, the cobbled streets of the Barbican and Sutton Harbour. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight stay in Plymouth.

After breakfast we journey north with a pause for an included pub lunch before an early afternoon arrival in Worcester. Explore the “Faithful” City of Worcester. The town earned this name because of its unwavering support of the king during the English Civil War. Discover Worcester Cathedral, where Hugh Latimer, the famous martyr, was bishop and see the tomb of King John, who signed the Magna Carta. Overnight stay in Worcestershire.

Today learn more about the Magna Carta, by travelling to Lincoln Castle, to see one of the very rare “copies” of this ancient manuscript. We will also tour Lincoln Cathedral with an opportunity to attend Evensong if desired. Overnight stay in Lincoln.

This morning, after breakfast, a local expert guide will take us on a tour of local sites that would have been very familiar to the Pilgrim Fathers. Visit Babworth church where William Brewster and William Bradford came together under Richard Clyfton’s leadership. Further stops then include Brewster’s home village of Scrooby, Bradford’s parish church and house at Austerfield, and Sturton-le-Steeple – birthplace of John Robinson and the Baptist John Smyth, and probably of John Carver who was the first leader on the Mayflower. We finish the day at Gainsborough, from where the Pilgrims set out on their final and successful escape attempt. Visit the medieval Old Hall which shows us a real building from the time of The Mayflower. Overnight stay inLincoln.

We will check-out of our hotel and drive to Boston. In 1607, a group of pilgrims had walked 60 miles from Scrooby to Boston to meet a ship to take them to Holland. They were betrayed and instead of a new life, they were arrested and taken to the Guildhall. We will see the cells where they were held, as well as the Pilgrim Fathers memorial at Scotia Creek. St. Botolph’s Church, known as “Boston Stump”, is one of England’s largest parish churches. Rev. John Cotton urged members of his congregation to join the Massachusetts Bay Company, and he helped found the city of Boston in the 1630s. The Puritan Path leading to the church is in his honour. Continue to Harwich, the port town where Captain Christopher Jones was born. We will tour his house. Overnight stay in Essex.

Travel in to London and have lunch in the Mayflower Pub in Rotherhithe. This used to be called the Shippe Inn, and was well known to the crew of the Mayflower. We will explore the South Bank area of London, including visits to Southwark Cathedral and the Globe Theatre with its backstage tour. Overnight stay in London.

Day at leisure for independent sightseeing in London. Overnight stay in London.

An executive motor coach is provided for the transfer to London's Heathrow Airport.