Admiral McBride - Barbican, Plymouth

“Built on the Original Mayflower Steps”

Mayflower, Voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers

The Pilgrim Fathers left from the old port of Plymouth in 1620 in a small sailing ship, the Mayflower. Their departure point & last point of contact with the ‘Old World’, (The Mayflower Steps), are now buried somewhere below where the Admiral MacBride pub now stands.

Sutton Harbour was then a little larger than it is today, and the waterline would have run along roughly where the road now is, in front of the historical island house, (now an ice-cream parlour), and up to the ‘steps’ which would have protruded from the vertical rocks behind the pub.

The Pilgrim Fathers stay in Plymouth was for 10 days. They were made very welcome by the local people who were sympathetic to their cause. So impressed by this welcome and what was done for them they named their first settlement in the New World “Plymouth” (Massachusetts). From these humble beginnings has grown the most powerful nation in the world today.

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The land on which the pub stands was probably built up at the same time as the piers were constructed (1791-99) and in all likelihood the pub was built for the benefit of those working on the project. It was named in honour of the Admiral John MacBride.

Chris Robinson's History of the Admiral MacBride

Chris Robinson is a local painter and writer who has created works based on the history of Plymouth. In his article, Chris provides the background history of the Admiral MacBride:

www.chrisrobinson.co.uk/pubs/admiralmacbride.shtml

Book: The Voyage of The Arctic Tern

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Things happen here in Plymouth in the winter
And of such things you'd surely never learn.
So take your seat and listen while I tell you
Of Bruno and his ship, The Arctic Tern...
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The Voyage of The Arctic Tern is an extraordinary and epic sea adventure, vividly narrated in stirring verse. This is a classic tale of treason, treachery and treasure, sweeping across many centuries and different lands, from Scandinavia to Spain to the South West of England.

The story is set in Plymouth and contains many references to the Admiral MacBride. If you would like to know more, you can pick up a copy from Amazon.co.uk, here.