residents are pulling together to help turn the town's Bayards Cove beauty spot into the historic jewel in the town's tourism crown following international outcry over the state of the centuries old quay.

South Hams Council has already launched a major clean-up operation along the cobbled quayside where the Pilgrim Fathers set out for America in 1620.

And there are proposals to clean up the plaque recording the historic voyage which is viewed by hundreds of US tourists who visit the town each year.

Now the town's bloom team has pledged to bring in new hanging baskets to improve the floral displays along for quayside area.

And the town's museum is looking at setting up interpretation boards in the cove.

And there have even been suggestions that a giant awning could be placed over Bayards Castle so that it could be used as a venue for events in the future.

The ideas have been born out of a special meeting held last week following major concerns over the state of the cove – which is one of the lost historic spots in the town.

Not only did the famous Founding Fathers sail from there in the Mayflower but it was also the setting out point for the Crusades in the 12th century.

More recently it was given a shot of TV fame as the backdrop for the popular Onedin Line series in the 1970s.

Last week's meeting included local councillors and Bayards Cove residents along with representatives from the Old Dartmothians, the museum, Dartmouth in Bloom and the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society.

Dartmouth district and county councillor Jonathan Hawkins said along with the Mayflower plaque clean up it is proposed to look at raising it higher and shifting it to a more prominent position on the quay.

He said the meeting had been 'very constructive' and 'positive' and it is now planned to have a follow up meeting next month.

Philip Roe, a Bayards Cove resident whose concerns about the quay sparked off the meeting and even echoed across the Atlantic to the USA, said he had been attempting to highlight the deterioration of the historic quay for the last 25 years.

He said: 'All present applauded the prospect of beginning with Bayard's Cove, as the jewel in Dartmouth's crown, to be used as the example of how, piece by piece, the other important aspects of our special position in the world's history can be developed, thus promoting the complete package of history, pride and culture from which Dartmouth could uniquely benefit both commercially and socially.'