#Mayflower400 Dartmouth

From Southampton it was on to Dartmouth where I met Laura from Mayflower Dartmouth. She walked me over to Bayard's Cove where the Mayflower was moored while repairs were done on the leaking Speedwell.

We then enjoyed a lovely lunch at Bayard's Cove Inn where we were joined by Lindsay. I learned about some of the wonderful events being planned to celebrate #Mayflower400:

• Pennants stitched not only by local stitchers but by stitchers from across the country, and even parts beyond. These pennants will decorate the town for the #Mayflower400 celebrations
• Illuminate
• Three different trails - a town trail, a packhorse trail and a castle trail out to Dartmouth Castle
• Other plans are in the works but details are not yet ready for sharing, so keep an eye on the Mayflower Dartmouth website 

From lunch, I was taken over to the museum to meet my tour guides Les and Liz. 

The town has a fascinating maritime history, wrought with adventure (and misadventure) including privateering, sailors (which implies inns and houses of ill repute), merchants and mayors and of course the Mayflower. 

Royal Castle Hotel built in 1639. This was originally two homes, both owned by town merchants. It received the "royal" designation after Queen Victoria's sons made a visit. They were attending the Royal Naval College

Dartmouth is also home to inventor Thomas Newcomen who invented the steam engine. 

Being a port, Dartmouth was also a market town. The market still runs today.

Old wearhouse and stockyard

Back of the stockyard and wearhouse

Prison cell within the stockyard for wayward sailors

Les and Liz also took me into John Flavel's church. Flavel was a clergy and Puritan

the original door to the church is still in use today. The date reads 1631 however, carbon dating has the door as old as 1361 and it is thought that at some point, the numbers were removed for cleaning or repair and re-attached in the wrong order