MORE than a million holidaymakers a year pass through Harwich but most barely give the Essex town a sideways glance as their ferry sails out towards the Hook of Holland. But it was a voyage from here 400 years ago that could be said to have changed the course of history. 4 Harwich in Essex is a great historical town Credit: Getty 4 Aerial photo of Harwich Redoubt Fort The ship was the Mayflower and it was built in Harwich by Captain Christopher Jones, who then risked life and limb to carry his passengers across the Atlantic.
They were the Pilgrim Fathers fleeing persecution here, to build a new life in America and help found a new country. Harwich still feels like it is somewhat living in the past, with a town crier, an annual sausage-throwing contest a big sea shanty singalong and the Guy Carnival, where locals sport giant heads and fancy dress. The latter is nothing to do with Guy Fawkes , but is associated with the tradition of “guying” — taking the mickey out of authority for one day a year.
This coastal region, 20 or so miles east of Colchester , is a great spot for holidaymakers who want something more low-key than the sterotypical seaside fare, especially those who are into maritime history. The story of the Pilgrim Fathers can be learned in Jones’s Wattle and Daub house, part of the Maritime Trail, which runs through the town. It includes the Redoubt Fort (built when Britain feared a Napoleonic invasion), a radar tower from World War Two, a Guildhall, th.
