New DVD explores Bassetlaw's part in the Mayflower story

The story of Bassetlaw’s links to the Pilgrim Fathers and the sailing of the Mayflower to the new world 400 years ago, is explored in a new DVD documentary that has been released about Nottinghamshire’s part in the historic events.
Adrian Moss, producer and director of The Mayflower 400. Picture: Focus Business CommunicationsAdrian Moss, producer and director of The Mayflower 400. Picture: Focus Business Communications
Adrian Moss, producer and director of The Mayflower 400. Picture: Focus Business Communications

The Mayflower 400 DVD documentary offers six hours of extraordinary footage and explores the historica l back-story of the Mayflower and Speedwell sailing in 1620, and the reasons for the ‘great migration’ to the new world’.The production team filmed around Worksop, Babworth, Scrooby, Austerfield and Sturton le Steeple during the making of the piece.Adrian Moss, who created the documentary, along with the production team at Focus Business Communications, said: “Worksop Priory was the home church of radical puritan Richard Bernard who sympathised with the separatists before deciding to stay and purify the church from within.

"The site is also the birthplace of his daughter Mary who married Roger Williams, a baptist, and together they travelled to the USA and eventually founded what is now known as Rhode Island.

"During the documentary we explain the background to the puritan revolt against Henry VIII’s church policy but also tell the stories of the crusades.“Central to the story is the spiritual home of the ‘Mayflower congregation’, which is widely considered to be Babworth’s All Saints Church.

"Here, Richard Clifton defied the order of bishop and King and preached his controversial message that attracted William Brewster, William Bradford and many other separatists.“Close by in Scrooby, thought to be the birthplace of William Brewster, we filmed in the church where he repeated Clifton’s sermons and viewed the remains of his manor house.

“Whilst the Mayflower is the story, for me it’s a fascinating account depicting the birth of two nations following Henry VIII’s decision to break away from the Roman Catholic Church.

“It’s an epic story of our time – what happened in the 1600s resonates today on so many levels; when you think about freedom of thought and speech, religious tolerance and even Brexit.”For more information, or to order a copy of The Mayflower 400, click here.