Bayards Cove Hotel
Bayards Cove
Dartmouth
South Devon
TQ6 9AN
Dartmouth has a remarkable location nestling on the hillside by a natural deepwater harbour, it’s a town with a varied & interesting history, and of course fabulous views of the sea and surrounding countryside.
Its narrow streets & ancient buildings have seen the town develop
from a fishing port in the middle ages to a base for smugglers and privateers.
Today, yachtsmen have replaced the privateers but the town especially Bayards Cove retains a wealth of interesting buildings and other landmarks.
The mild South Devon climate makes this area a great year round resort, often with excellent weather in February and March and golden autumn days in October and November. Many visitors who come for Christmas often stay on for the unique New Year festivities. With Christmas in mind, shopping for seasonal gifts is a must at the many specialist outlets, which within a few doors of each other, offer an array of goods rarely encountered elsewhere.
Bayards Cove is the earliest surviving quay in Dartmouth. Dates set in the cobbles confirm its antiquity, and it has changed little since 1539.
The cove featured regularly in the TV series The Onedin Line. At the southern end of Bayards Cove is a small fortification. The artillery fort was built by Dartmouth Corporation in 1510 to provide additional protection to the harbour.
Dartmouth takes its name from the tidal River Dart, which leads into the harbour and out to Sea. It was one of the last ports of call for the Pilgrim Fathers setting out for their new homeland, a plaque in Bayards Cove commemorates their visit. It was also from here that the adventurer, Sir Walter Raleigh, sailed to the Americas. The plaque is enscribed as follows
Plymouth, devon, england
here, off bayard's cove, the mayflower (180 tons) with london
colonists, and the speedwell (60 tons) with leyden pilgrims - some 122 in all - lay at anchor from august 23 (new style) to about august 31, 1620.
These ships had sailed from southampton on august 15. They put in at dartmouth to repair the leaking speedwell. They sailed from dartmouth for america.
When about 300 miles w. S. W. Of land's end, the unseaworthiness of the speedwell made it necessary to put back to plymouth, devon, on september 7. The speedwell was abandoned and on september 16 the mayflower alone set sail again for america, with 102 passengers. Their spiritual leader was elder william brewster. The mayflower cast anchor
In cape cod harbor, new england, on november 21, 1620, off what is now province town, arriving at plymouth on december 26.
On november 21 the mayflower compact, a charter of self-government -- the first "american constitution" -- was made law by 41 signatories. Thus dartmouth took part in establishing civil and religious liberty in the new world.
The general society of mayflower descendants (u. S. A. 1897) waldo morgan allen, governor general on their first
pilgrimage - 152 by planes - to the netherlands and england.
september 22 - october 6, 1955. Dartmouth. October 2.
335 years after the sailing of the mayflower.
