Pilgrim Fathers Memorial

Column marking the 1620 departure point of the Mayflower and Speedwell

Address Town Quay, Southampton

A simple stone column on Town Quay, marking the 1620 departure of the Mayflower and Speedwell with the Pilgrim Fathers aboard. They left Southampton on 5 August, but the Speedwell sprang leaks and forced the ships to put in twice for repairs — at Dartmouth, then at Plymouth — before the Mayflower finally sailed on alone. So Plymouth, technically, claims the final departure; but the voyage began here.

The memorial column was unveiled in 1913 for the tercentenary. It is one of the smaller monuments on a busy port front, easily missed; combined with a walk along the medieval walls, it makes a sensible mini-circuit. Free, always accessible.

things to do sight
A story
The two ships that carried the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Southampton on 5 August 1620. The Speedwell sprang leaks and forced both ships to put in twice for repairs — at Dartmouth, then at Plymouth — before the Mayflower sailed on alone, abandoning the leaking Speedwell. So strictly the Mayflower departed from Plymouth; the journey began here.