A replica of one of the three ships that took the settlers to America 400 years ago is due to sail into Dover on Tuesday, 15 May.
It was in May 1607 that 104 English men and boys made landfall in Virginia, and began to build the first permanent English-speaking settlement in America at Jamestown. This event is being commemorated in the USA by the state visit by H M Queen Elizabeth II, followed by a series of events led by President George W Bush and a host of international representatives.
"The Discovery" is a full-scale replica of the smallest of the three ships that took the settlers to America in 1607, and The Discovery Tour 1607 to 2007 will provide the UK focus of the 400th anniversary commemorations.
This replica of "The Discovery" has been gifted to the Jamestown UK Foundation Ltd by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in America and was conveyed to the UK in October 2006 by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. It was built in 1984, and was in Virginia for many years where it received over 9 million visitors.
The Jamestown UK Foundation Ltd has been established in the UK to oversee the UK commemoration of the 400th anniversary. The Foundation is chaired by Mr Alex King MBE, who said: "The spirit of adventure and entrepreneurship that carried our forbears to Virginia in search of prosperity and new trading links must inspire us in the 21st century with admiration for their courage. This small ship was home to 22 people for the perilous 4½ month crossing of the Atlantic, in their mission to find wealth and new trade routes. Their arrival on American soil marked the founding of one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever seen - a civilisation based on the English language and legal system."
The Discovery Tour 1607 - 2007 includes many places in the UK with links to the original settlers and their supporters and brings to life their story of adventure and hardship in the search for prosperity and a new life.
The first port of call for "The Discovery" will be Dover, where the ship may be seen berthed in the Marina adjacent to De Bradelei Wharf Shopping Centre, courtesy of Dover Harbour Board. The Discovery arrives on Tuesday 15 May, and will stay until Thursday 7 June. It will be accompanied by an exhibition telling the story of the ship and its journey.
"The Discovery" will also visit two other places in Kent: Quex Park, and Chatham Historic Dockyard in June, before travelling to Lincolnshire, Essex, Suffolk and Bristol.
For more information on 'The Discovery Tour 1607 - 2007', visit http://www.jamestownuk.org/discovery.html.
