New Beginnings: From Roman Britannia to the New World - Postponed

In 1620, pilgrims, merchants and adventurers set sail on the River Thames in London on the Mayflower ship picking up passengers and supplies in Southampton and Plymouth before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.  With great hardship and perseverance, they established a small colony in the New World which would eventually grow to become the powerful United States of America.  The River Thames was centre stage for this pivotal moment in world history.

Mudlarks (people who search the exposed riverbed for historical artefacts) have found many extraordinary objects from the 17th century in the River Thames which tell unheard stories of the people who lived in London at that time period.

To commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the departure of the Mayflower from London on its historic voyage to America, the Thames Museum Trust is curating an exhibition in collaboration with the Guildhall Art Gallery, the City of London and Mayflower 400 London.  The exhibition will take place within the historic Roman amphitheatre from 29th May – 4th July 2020 and will include a wide variety of Roman and 17th century artefacts discovered by Mudlarks.

As part of the exhibition, special events will be offered for children and school groups to engage and experience ‘hands of history’ through holding some of the artefacts and learning about them.  A series of engaging lectures within the amphitheatre will focus on the archaeological evidence from the Roman and 17th century time periods.

10:00 – 17:00 daily.  Free entry to exhibition