Brewster's Scrooby and Bradford's Austerfield
William Brewster's home village of Scrooby lies across the River Trent in the county of Nottinghamshire about twelve miles from Gainsborough Old Hall.
Part of Scrooby Manor still survives and although in private hands, a tantalizing glimpse of it can be caught from across the fields bordering the road leading away from the rear of St. Wilfrid's Church.
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Once a very fine timber-framed building ( thought to have been very similar in structure to Gainsborough Old Hall) much of Scrooby Manor had already fallen into decay long before William Brewster's time there as Post Master.
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Walking along the lanes nearby , or sitting in quiet meditation inside St. Wilfrid's Church - both of which William Brewster knew so well- one can almost sense the presence of this great man wrestling with difficult decisions about leaving the established church.
William Brewster was baptised here and his parish church of St. Wilfrid's has many interesting features, including the twin to a bench presently housed in the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Massachusetts.
Not a very great journey by foot in the old days and only just across the county border into Yorkshire, lies William Bradford's home village of Austerfield.
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While visiting picturesque church of St. Helena, look above the entrance to the mythical creature carved into the stone work.
The commemorative stained glass windows inside are quite exquisite too.
'The lead font, in which Bradford was baptised, was lost for many years and only lately rediscovered in a farmyard and restored to its rightful place.
More detailed information on the Pilgrim Fathers and the Pilgrim Trail may be found on the 'Links To Sites Of Interest' below.