I’m back folks and wanted to tell you a little more about this wonderful little park in Plymouth.
When you come for your visit to Plymouth I would expect that you would visit the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock.
That done you need to take a short walk down the street where you will find the entrance to Brewster Gardens.
There is a paved nature trail that follows the Town Brook through the Gardens. Town Brook provided the water supply for the Pilgrims and the first garden plots were planted in this area. It was probably one of the major reasons the Pilgrims decided to settle in this area, as the brook provided a good supply of fresh water.
The lower end of the Gardens is decorated with some sculptures.
One is of the Pilgrim Maiden by Henry Hudson Kitson and the other is a more modern sculpture made of stainless steel honoring Plymouth’s immigrant settlers from 1700 to 2000.
I did a quick internet search but did not find a great deal of history on either sculpture. I can say they are quite different but equally captivating. They add a great deal to the attractiveness of the gardens. The Pilgrim Maiden stands in a fountain although the fountain had not yet been activated for the season when I was there. Way too early in the spring for that.
Crossing the little bridge will take you on the nature trail which will cross under Main St and Pleasant St. Along the way there are park benches where you can sit and enjoy the scenery.
The Herring also use the Town Brook as a herring run to reach their fresh water spawning area.
The walk is not long or strenuous and before you know it you will reach the Jenny Grist Mill. Jenny Mill is America’s first utility and represents the beginning of industry and trade in our country. The original mill was built by John Jenny, a brewery worker. There are tours of the Grist Mill available and tickets are purchased in the lower level in The Mill Stone Creamery and souvenir shop. I am sure there is much more information on this site available when you take a tour. There are tables on a deck facing the mill-wheel for a scenic place to enjoy a fresh dish of ice cream either before or after your tour.
Moving on up the stairs and across the street is Jenny Pond. There is plenty of free parking and the pond is loaded with birds and some say, fish. I can’t vouch for that as I didn’t try my luck. There’s a little bridge that crosses the pond but other than a scenic decoration it didn’t seem to lead anywhere. It might connect to the Pigrim Trail but I didn’t see that at the time of my visit. There is some access as there were vehicles parked there.
I am told that Jenny Mill and Pond are part of the Pilgrim Trail.
The Pilgrim Trail is a 10 mile circular trail through Plymouth. the Trail starts and finishes at the information center at exit 5 on route 3. I’m told there is ample parking, rest rooms and information on attractions. I will have to check this out and let you know what I find out for sure.
It seems that the more I learn about the area, the more doors that open up to me to explore. You can be sure that I will keep posting about my adventures whether they are local to me or on a distant vacation. Be back on Monday with more tales from the dusty roads. 🙂