Ernesettle and Mayflower 400

Ernesettle Timebank members alongside willing organisations and residents are working collectively to organise many events and activities for the Mayflower 400 celebrations in Ernesettle in the summer of 2020, in order to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower setting sail for the Americas in 1620. A lot of the activities are centered around the Budshead Manor ruins, which was the seat of the Gorges family and Sir Ferdinand Gorges was appointed the first Governor in Maine.

They have been busy putting funding bids together and setting plans in action to restore the walls of the ruins, by removing trees and ivy growing in and around them, with a view of making them a scheduled ruin, so that Historic England will then look after them. An Oral History project of Ernesettle and the ruins will be done and eventually deposited in the ‘The Box’, Plymouth’s new museum and archive, which will open in the spring of 2020. From these histories collected they plan to write a small booklet on the history of the area (as a keepsake for Mayflower 400 for the residents and workers of Ernesettle). These histories will then help form a play to have as an open air performance at the ruins.

Local residents of the area keep giving us more ideas to try and make happen and all those within the group plan to make as many happen as possible, including making a scaled model of the Mayflower and floating it on Ernesettle creek.