Mayflower Factsheets
The Plymouth Steps
The Mayflower Steps, located on Plymouth’s
Barbican, signifies the approximate point,
where the Pilgrims departed for America
in 1620. The original Plymouth Steps no
longer exist, but a granite sign marks the
spot where the ship left. The Visit Plymouth
website holds additional information on the
Plymouth Steps:
“A heavily weathered, honey-coloured Doric portico
was added in 1934. Taking a couple of steps through
leads to a mini-balcony, built in 2000, which has views
out towards the sea. Parts of the cobbled Grade II pier
the memorials sit on date from the 17th century, but it
was extensively rebuilt in the 1790s.
The best effort by local historians to place the actual
site of the Mayflower finally casting off is roughly,
where a Victorian public house, the Admiral MacBride,
now stands.
Nearby plaques chronicle other key events to occur
near the site: the return in 1838 of four Tolpuddle
Martyrs after exile in Australia; the departure in 1839
of the Tory, the pioneer ship that colonised New
Zealand; and the arrival in 1919 of the American
seaplane that made the first transatlantic flight, almost
300 years after the Pilgrims’ voyage”
Learn more
• www.plymouthmayflowersteps.co.uk
holds information on the role the Plymouth
• For interactive displays of the history of
Barbican played in the story of the
the Mayflower, you can visit the Mayflower
Mayflower. You can find more images as
Museum, which is located within the Tourist
well as replica films telling the story of the
Information centre on Plymouth’s Barbican.
voyage from Plymouth to UK. The website
For further information on visiting the
will be updating the content as the 2020
Mayflower Steps, Visit Plymouth provides
celebrations unfold.
useful details on what to do and how to get
there.
• British Pathe holds various films on
Mayflower history which were made in
• Information on the Pilgrims, the Mayflower
1955-57.
and images from the area surrounding the
Mayflower Steps can be found by visiting
• A brief history for Plymouth can be found on
the Mayflower Steps website.
Plymouth City council website.
Pictured: Mayflower Steps