Heritage and history
The District of Bassetlaw, North Nottinghamshire, has a wealth of heritage and history and the asset that Bassetlaw places significant importance on, is being the origins of the Mayflower Pilgrims, as it was here that the beginnings of religious Separatism can be traced.
400th Anniversary of the Mayflower setting sail
2020 marked 400 years since these brave pilgrims set out for America and Bassetlaw District Council worked closely with Mayflower 400, a national organisation led by Destination Plymouth, to make sure that this landmark anniversary was given the recognition it deserves.
Mayflower 400 has 11 partner destinations, who all have links with the Mayflower story, including Leiden in Holland and Plymouth 400 in United States (that also includes the Wampanoag, a Native American nation). The group met regularly to discuss national initiatives that can be shared amongst partners in the commemorative year spanning November 2019 until November 2020.
Pilgrim Roots
To complement the Mayflower 400 partnership, a regional partnership entitled Pilgrim Roots was established. Members of the Roots group include West Lindsey District Council, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Boston Town Council and a number of other interested organisations including Bassetlaw Christian Heritage and University of Lincoln. The aims of this group were to work with national Mayflower 400 initiatives whilst ensuring that the unique story of the Separatist roots is not overshadowed by the story of the journey of the Mayflower ship.
Finding accommodation on the Mayflower Trail
Visit Nottinghamshire is the website of the Destination Marketing Organisation for the county and this also provides details of hotels, dining and things to do across the county.
Booking a tour of the Mayflower Trail
Sue Allan of Pilgrim Tours, winner of the Experience Nottinghamshire Excellence in Customer Service Award for 2014 is dedicated to providing specialised services for a wide range of customers – including people on vacation, students, families, schools, home-based education groups, church groups, and of course any of the five million known descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims.
Pilgrims and Prophets is another Retford based company providing tours of the Mayflower Trail in addition to a number of other specialised Christian Heritage tours within a 30-mile radius of Retford.
Last Updated on Monday, October 19, 2026