2 Best Sights in The West Country, England

By the harbor you can visit the Mayflower Steps, marking where the Pilgrims embarked in 1620. The actual steps no longer exist, but a granite block, the Mayflower Stone, marks the approximate spot, and there is a commemorative portico with Doric columns of Portland stone. Local historians believe that the true site is roughly where a Victorian pub, the Admiral MacBride, now stands. The Pilgrims had originally sailed from Southampton but had to stop in Plymouth because of damage from a storm.

Exeter's historic waterfront on the River Exe was the center of the city's medieval wool industry, and the Custom House, built in 1680, attests to the city's prosperity. The city's earliest surviving brick building is now flanked by Victorian warehouses and houses a visitor center where you can view a short video as well as documents on the city's maritime history. Local tourist information is also available here.