This is Pocahontas territory, near to where the first English settlements were established at the beginning of the 17th century in what is now known as Tidewater, Virginia, the coastal area of the state that faces on to Chesapeake Bay. The York River meanders inland past Yorktown, the site of the battle that concluded the War of Independence, passing Gloucester and on up to West Point. Nearby Williamsburg has many historic sites and colonial exhibits. Three piers cater for vessels up to 45 metres.