Thames Clippers supports Rotherhithe Illuminated!
Rotherhithe Illuminated! is a community-led legacy lighting scheme to commemorate Rotherhithe’s key role in the Mayflower story.
2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's voyage to the new world. 102 passengers finally left from Plymouth, Devon, to establish Plymouth Colony in what would later become Massachusetts, aboard the Mayflower captained by Rotherhithe resident, Master Christopher Jones.
The Mayflower's home port was Rotherhithe, and Rotherhithe Illuminated! aims to create a lasting legacy to the ship, crew and pilgrims that would go on to found the United States of America. The scheme will illuminate specific elements of five historic buildings, within the Rotherhithe conservation area, which is where Christopher Jones, the Master and part-owner of the Mayflower lived, died and is buried.
When these buildings are illuminated, the spire of St Mary's church and the chimneys of Thames Tunnel Mills and Brunel’s Engine House will be visible from Tower Bridge, London Bridge, across the river in Wapping, and to people travelling along the river aboard Thames Clippers' boats at night.
The project will deliver a permanent Mayflower legacy for Rotherhithe and will increase community and cultural awareness and enjoyment, in accordance with the Thames Vision and the Port of London Authority (PLA)’s ambition for the river over the next 20 years. There will be educational elements incorporated into the lighting scheme which will engage visitors and will explain the history behind each of the illuminated buildings.
The project team hopes to fundraise enough to ensure that the scheme is installed and ready to go by September 2020, when the key commemorations to mark the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's sailing from Rotherhithe are due to take place along the Thames between Westminster and Rotherhithe.
Thames Clippers, which like the Mayflower was founded in Rotherhithe, and the PLA have already contributed significantly to the £95K overall cost of installing the project but it cannot be completed without your help! If you would like to support the project to promote awareness of, and create a lasting legacy to, Rotherhithe's historically significant past then please visit Rotherhithe Illuminated!’s JustGiving page and donate what you can towards the £35K still needed to complete the project. Every single £ donated will help the team meet their target!
