Mayflower 400 is a programme of events on an ambitious scale. It is a platform for an international commemoration of the remarkable relationship between our nations which began with the sailing of the Mayflower on 16 September 1620, followed by the signing of the “Mayflower Compact” on 21 November of that year in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
Dartmouth is one of the twelve towns participating in the National Mayflower Partnership and throughout the twelve months from Thanksgiving November 2019, will be commemorating the 400-year anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower to the New World, with a series of exciting events and projects, some of which will leave a lasting legacy well beyond 2020.
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Heritage, and leaving a permanent legacy, are both major ambitions of the Dartmouth Mayflower team, especially with the introduction of a Mayflower Walking Trail & the permanent display of a Replica Ship.
Activities and facilities (both for 2020 and ongoing) are being put in place to attract more visitors (especially from the United States) to Dartmouth and to raise the profile of Dartmouth and its surrounding areas as a destination for visitors, locally, nationally and internationally. For an up to date list of events go to: https://www.dartmouthmayflower400.uk/events/
Funding is coming from a multitude of sources – grant funding organisations, commercial sponsorship, personal & commercial donations are the main ones.
What happens after 2020?
Although the year’s commemorations will have finished, it is hoped that the legacy projects, the Replica Ship, the Walking Trail and the Sculpture will last indefinitely. Hopefully, the town will have gained a much higher profile both nationally & internationally, which will result in increased visitor number & a much needed and ongoing boost to the economy of the town.
