History of Milford Haven and PembrokeshireThis timelines provides a brief history of Milford Haven and Pembrokeshire. It also includes a few national and world events to help put the entries into context. As with all historical data, it is incomplete and may contain errors.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 15000000000 bc | Start of the Universe |
| 4500000000 bc | Formation of Planet Earth |
| 4000000000 bc | Start Life on Earth (disputed date) |
| 2400000000 bc to 2100000000 bc | Huronian Ice Age |
| 800000000 bc to 635000000 bc | Cryogenian Ice Age |
| 450000000 bc to 420000000 bc | Andean-Saharan Ice Age |
| 360000000 bc to 260000000 bc | Karoo Ice Age |
| 2580000 bc | Current Ice Age (Quaternary) |
| 10000 bc | Warm period in current ice age |
| 8200 bc to 4200 bc | Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) |
| 8000 bc | Approximate date for the formation of the Haven waterway by flooding of the Daugleddau after the last ice age |
| 6500 bc | Britain cut off from mainland by rising sea level |
| 4200 bc to 2200 bc | Neolithic (New Stone Age) |
| 4000 bc | Approximate date for Coetan Arthur. A Neolithic burial chamber, St Davids Peninsular |
| 3000 bc | Approximate date for the building of Pentre Ifan- Carreg Samson and Kings Quoit |
| 2200 bc to 1500 bc | Bronze Age (no agreement on dates) |
| 2100 bc | Approximate date for Preseli Bluestones being taken from Pembrokeshire to Stonehenge |
| 1500 bc to 1000 bc | The Dark Ages (no agreement on dates) |
| 850 bc to 43 ad | Iron Age (no agreement on start date) |
| 500 bc | Approximate date for many of Pembrokeshires Celtic Settlements |
| 300 bc | Approximate date for the building of Castel Henllys hill fort |
| 43 to 410 | Roman Occupation |
| 410 to 1000 | Post Roman |
| 850 | Viking Raids on Milford Haven start |
| 878 | The Viking Hubba winters his fleet in Milford Haven |
| 1000 to 1500 | Gothic Art (no agreement on dates) |
| 1000 to 1500 | Medieval (Middle Ages) (no agreement on dates) |
| 1096 | Welsh siege of Pembroke Castle fails |
| 1100 | Approximate date for the building of a wooden castle at Cilgerran |
| 1100 | St Davids Church in Hubberston was founded during the 1100s. |
| 1115 | Norman Bishop installed at St Davids |
| 1120 | Pope Callixtus II declares 2 pilgrimages to St Davids = 1 pilgrimage to Rome |
| 1136 | Benedictine Monastery established on Caldey Island |
| 1146 | Gerald of Wales born at Manorbier Castle |
| 1170 | Adam de Roche founded the Benedictine priory called Hubberston Priory- in Lower Priory- Milford Haven |
| 1180 | Dedication of the Thomas a Becket beacon chapel on the Rath- Milford Haven. (Fully restored in the 1930s) |
| 1180 | Start of building work on St Davids Cathedral |
| 1200 | Milford Haven area was referred to as Millfyth by historian George Owen during the 1200s |
| 1223 | Cilgerran Castle captured by William Marshall (the Younger)(Earl of Pembroke) and rebuilt in its current layout |
| 1260 | Prince Llewellyn ransacked Tenby |
| 1280 | Start of building work for the current Carew Castle |
| 1282 to 1307 | King Edward I of Wales |
| 1307 to 1327 | King Edward II of England and Wales |
| 1327 to 1377 | King Edward III of England and Wales |
| 1348 | Black Death (The Plague strikes Hakin) |
| 1358 | First Ship bring cargo into Porth Clais for the building of St Davids Cathedral |
| 1377 to 1399 | King Richard II of England and Wales |
| 1399 to 1413 | King Henry IV of England and Wales |
| 1399 to 1461 | House of Lancaster of England and Wales |
| 1405 | French mercenaries arrive at Milford Haven to assist Owain Glyndwr they go on to set fire to Haverfordwest |
| 1413 to 1422 | King Henry V (The Warrior King) of England and Wales |
| 1422 to 1461 | King Henry VI of England and Wales |
| 1457 | Henry Tudor born in Pembroke Castle |
| 1461 to 1483 | King Edward IV of England and Wales |
| 1461 to 1485 | House of York |
| 1471 | Henry Tudor sets sail from Tenby - fleeing from the Yorkists |
| 1483 to 1483 | King Edward V of England and Wales |
| 1483 to 1485 | King Richard III of England and Wales |
| 1485 to 1509 | King Henry VII of England and Wales |
| 1485 to 1603 | House of Tudor |
| 1485 | Henry Tudor lands at Mill Bay (Dale) on the start of his campaign to retake the though. After defeating Richard III he became Henry VII |
| 1500 to 1600 | Renaissance Art |
| 1509 to 1547 | King Henry VIII of England and Wales |
| 1547 to 1553 | King Edward VI of England and Wales |
| 1553 to 1553 | Queen Jane of England and Wales |
| 1553 to 1558 | Queen Mary I of England and Wales |
| 1558 to 1603 | Queen Elizabeth I of England and Wales |
| 1603 to 1625 | King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) |
| 1603 to 1714 | House of Stuart |
| 1625 to 1649 | King Charles I of England Wales and Scotland |
| 1642 | During the Civil War- the royalist Earl of Carberry attack on Pembroke fails when he finds the Parliamentary fleet in Milford Haven |
| 1644 | Battle of Colby Moor (between Wiston and Llawhaden) |
| 1648 | Pembroke Castle besieged by Cromwell |
| 1649 to 1659 | Commonwealth (No monarch) |
| 1649 | Oliver Cromwell sets off for Ireland from Milford Haven |
| 1653 to 1658 | Oliver Cromwell (Lord Protector) |
| 1658 to 1659 | Richard Cromwell (Lord Protector) |
| 1659 to 1685 | King Charles II of England Wales and Scotland |
| 1661 | Quakers being imprisoned for their beliefs forced to leave for America. They go on to found the American towns of Haverfordwest and Narberth |
| 1685 to 1688 | James II of England and Wales (James VII of Scotland) |
| 1688 to 1689 | King William III and Queen Mary II (Joint rule) |
| 1689 to 1702 | King William III |
| 1702 to 1714 | Queen Anne |
| 1714 to 1727 | King George I |
| 1714 to 1901 | House of Hanover |
| 1727 to 1760 | King George II |
| 1752 | All of Britain (except the Gwaun Valley near Fishguard) adopt the Gregorian Calendar |
| 1760 to 1820 | King George III |
| 1782 | Sir William Hamilton inherited Hubberston and Pill |
| 1787 | Regular Mail Coach established linking Hubberston to London |
| 1789 | Original Bethesda Baptist Church built. |
| 1790 | Act of Parliament granted right to establish a port on land at Hubberston and Pill |
| 1790 | Founding of Milford Haven by Sir William Hamilton - On 9th June- an Act of Parliament was passed which gave rise to the founding of the port. |
| 1791 | The Pill to Haverforwest Road is administered as a Turnpike Trust with a Toll Gate at Castle Terrace |
| 1792 | Greville persuaded Quaker Whalers from Nantucket to settle in Milford Haven. The Quakers had emigrated to America to escape religious persecution- hence they had experience of building new towns from scratch. |
| 1796 | Navy Board starts building ships near Hubberston Pill. Ships built here include Milford- Lavinia and Nautilus |
| 1797 | A Customs Bonded Store was built on Milford Docks. This was later extended on both sides and is now the Museum |
| 1797 | Construction of a Whale Oil Warehouse in Milford Haven |
| 1797 | The French invaded at Strumble Head. It took almost 2 days for Jemima Nicholas (armed only with a pitch-fork) and a small group of local women to defeat 1,400 French troops. After the battle of Carregwastag, the French signed the official surrender document in the Royal Oak, Fishguard. |
| 1797 | The Navy Board establish Milford Dockyard to build warships |
| 1800 | The New Inn was built in Hamilton Terrace- Milford Haven. (Now known as the Lord Nelson Hotel) |
| 1801 | Building starts on St Katherines Church in Milford Haven |
| 1802 | Nelson visits Milford Haven and declares it one of the finest harbours ever seen |
| 1802 | The New Inn in Milford Haven was renamed the Lord Nelson Hotel after Nelsons visit |
| 1804 | Founding of the Milford Artillery Company |
| 1806 | The extensions which form the sides of Milford Museum were built |
| 1808 | St Katherines Church- Milford Haven- completed |
| 1809 | Work Abandoned on the Greville Observatory Milford Haven (Part of the College of King George III) |
| 1810 | Many Quakers returned to America. Demand for Whale Oil was falling due to Gas Lamps replacing Whale Oil lamps in the cities. |
| 1811 | Opening of the Friends Meeting House in Milford Haven |
| 1814 | Pembroke Dock founded by Royal Navy who were concerned about overcharging at the port of Milford Haven |
| 1816 | Original Bethesda Baptist Church extended |
| 1820 to 1830 | King George IV |
| 1821 | King George IV visits Milford Haven twice in 4 days!(each time taking refuge from a tempest) |
| 1830 to 1837 | King William IV |
| 1831 | Weslyan Chapel built in Milford Haven (Wesleyan Court now stands on the site) |
| 1837 to 1901 | Queen Victoria |
| 1839 | Start of the Rebecca Riots which centred on the area around Narberth |
| 1840 | Building of Scolton Manor |
| 1853 | Arrival of the South Wales Railway |
| 1855 | Date on the Foundation Stone of Hubberston National Primary School |
| 1856 | Founding of Neyland - Brunel put a railway station here to slight Milford Haven. |
| 1857 | Police Station opened in Faulke Street- Milford Haven |
| 1858 | Opening of the wooden Castle Pill Bridge- known as Black Bridge because it was coated in protective tar. |
| 1859 | Building of Scoveston Fort |
| 1859 | Neyland acquires it current name. (Previously it was called Milford Haven) |
| 1859 | St. Brynach Church, Cwm-yr-Eglwys destroyed in the "Royal Charter" storm. This storm killed 800 people and was so fierce that the Meteorological Office introduced Gale Warnings in 1860. |
| 1859 | The stepping stones crossing the pill between Milford Haven and Hakin are replaced by a wooden toll bridge |
| 1860 | Start of building work at Hubberston Fort (some accounts put this in 1858) |
| 1863 | Hubberston Fort completed for a cost of £87,000 |
| 1863 | The Railway arrives in Milford Haven |
| 1874 | Formation of the Milford Haven Docks Company |
| 1875 | The steam ship Great Eastern comes to Milford Haven for a refit after laying Transatlantic Cables |
| 1876 | Creation of the Port Sanitary Authority (now known as the Milford Haven Port Authority) |
| 1877 | Opening of the North Road Board School in Milford Haven |
| 1879 | Opening of the Baptist Chapel in North road- Milford Haven |
| 1887 | The book Little England Beyond Wales was published by Edward Laws |
| 1887 | Wooden Toll Bridge from Hakin to Milford Haven was replaced by an Iron Toll Bridge |
| 1888 | Flooding of Milford Docks (Project cost £1,500,000) |
| 1889 | Transatlantic Passenger Ship City of Rome arrives in Milford with Barnam Circus |
| 1890 to 1939 | Machine Age |
| 1891 | Milford Haven recognised as a Parish. Previously it was a suburb of Steynton Parish |
| 1894 | Formation of Milford Haven Urban District Council |
| 1898 | Great Western Railway extended into Milford Haven Docks |
| 1901 to 1910 | King Edward VII |
| 1901 | House of Saxe-Coburg / Windsor |
| 1902 | Opening of the Methodist Chapel in Priory Road- Milford Haven |
| 1905 | Closure of Trefrane Colliery, Newgale |
| 1907 | Extension to St Katherines Church in Milford Haven |
| 1908 | Building of first Smoke House Milford Haven - to support the fishing industry |
| 1908 | Building of Strumble Lighthouse |
| 1908 | GWR moves the Irish Ferry service from Neyland to Fishguard |
| 1909 | Opening of the Fire Station in Dartmouth Street- Milford Haven |
| 1909 | Tolls finally abolished on the bridge between Milford Haven and Hakin |
| 1910 to 1936 | King George V |
| 1910 | Approximate date for the last quarrying at Abereiddi. This quarry then flooded to create the Blue Lagoon |
| 1910 | Opening of the Tabernacle in Charles Street- Milford Haven |
| 1914 | Arrival of the Belgium Fishermen Refugees in Milford Haven |
| 1924 | Dedication of the War Memorial in Milford Haven |
| 1926 | Milford Haven electrified (The first town in Wales to be electrified) |
| 1928 | HMS Warrior laid up in the Haven (staying for 51 years) |
| 1930 | Construction of the Milford Haven sewage system |
| 1930 | Restoration of Thomas a Becket Chapel on the Rath begins |
| 1931 | Closure on the Porthgain brick works |
| 1931 | Construction of Milford Haven Central School |
| 1931 | Hakin School becomes a junior school as older pupils go to Grammar or Central School |
| 1932 | Opening of Preseli Waterworks |
| 1933 | Iron bridge between Hakin and Milford Haven replaced by a concrete one. Convoy of 8 Steam Rollers cross in close formation to prove that a bridge made from concrete is safe |
| 1933 | Royal visit to Milford Haven |
| 1935 | Building work started on the Royal Naval Armament Depot. (Often called the Mine Depot) |
| 1935 | Castell Farmhouse was abandoned. This has now been restored by the National Trust |
| 1936 to 1936 | King Edward VIII |
| 1936 to 1952 | King George VI |
| 1936 | First Haven oil spill from the Banda Sharpur who was stranded on Dale Beach |
| 1939 | Milford Haven Fire Station moved to the Town Hall |
| 1939 | Opening of Milford Haven Mine Depot |
| 1939 | Outdoor Swimming Pool on The Rath opened |
| 1939 | Town Hall started service. (There has never been an opening ceremony) |
| 1940 | German Navy start dropping Mines in the Haven |
| 1944 | Seebees (American Naval Construction Unit) build temporary hospital near Hubberston Fort to accept the casualties expected during the D-day Landings |
| 1945 to 1980 | Atomic Age |
| 1950 | Memorial Garden given to Milford Haven Urban District Council by the Welcome Home and Memorial Fund Committee |
| 1952 | Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Park created |
| 1952 | Queen Elizabeth II |
| 1957 | Construction works starts on the Esso Refinery in Milford Haven |
| 1958 | Founding of the Milford Haven Conservancy Board |
| 1959 | First Meeting of the Milford Haven Round Table |
| 1960 | Esso Portsmouth explodes while alongside the Esso jetty in Milford Haven |
| 1960 | Opening of Esso- the first Milford Haven Oil Refinery |
| 1960 | Opening of the BP Jetty |
| 1962 | First Annual Carnival organised by Milford Haven Round Table |
| 1964 | Official opening of Texaco Refinery by the Queen |
| 1964 | Opening of Milford Haven Grammar School in Steynton Road |
| 1966 | Milford Haven Fire Station moved to Yorke Street |
| 1966 | Opening of Texaco |
| 1967 | Torrey Canyon Oil Spill (Tanker was on route to Milford Haven) |
| 1968 | Building work started at Llys-y-fran Dam |
| 1968 | Opening of Gulf Oil Refinery |
| 1968 | Royal Family visit Milford Haven for Opening of Gulf Refinery |
| 1970 | Collapse of the Cleddau Bridge during construction |
| 1971 | Amoco Oil Refinery building started |
| 1972 | Founding of the Pembrokeshire Coast national Park |
| 1972 | Official Opening of Llys-y-fran Dam |
| 1973 | Amoco Oil Refinery (now Elf/Total/Murco) came on-line |
| 1973 | Opening of The Meads Sports Centre with its Indoor Swimming Pool |
| 1974 | Formation of Preseli District Council |
| 1975 | Haven ferries replaced by the Cleddau Bridge |
| 1976 | Official Opening of the Cleddau Bridge |
| 1977 | Opening of the Torch Theatre |
| 1977 | Pembroke walled town and waterway declared an Outstanding Conservation Area |
| 1977 | The Astoria Cinema in Milford Haven becomes a bingo hall |
| 1978 | Cristos Bitos Oil Spill |
| 1978 | Filming of The Onedin Line television series in the Haven |
| 1979 | BI Ferry Connacht arrived in Pembroke Dock |
| 1979 | HMS Warrior departs the Haven (after 51 years) |
| 1980 | Computer Age |
| 1981 | Approx. 90 Buildings in Pembroke are listed as Special Architectural/Historic Interest |
| 1983 | Amoco Oil Refinery Fire (involved 150 firemen!) |
| 1983 | Closure of the Esso Oil refinery |
| 1985 | Brunel Quay Marina in Neyland Opens |
| 1985 | Closure of BP Oil Facility |
| 1986 | Conservancy board became the Port Authority |
| 1987 | Outdoor Swimming Pool on The Rath closed |
| 1988 | Milford Haven Grammar School went Comprehensive and became Milford School |
| 1989 | A blue stone travelled to Stonehenge from the Preselis. (This journey did not use authentic transport techniques.) |
| 1989 | Closure of the Royal Naval Armament Depot |
| 1990 | Approximate opening of the Thornton Business Park |
| 1990 | Milford Haven celebrated 200th anniversary with visit by Princess Alexandra |
| 1990 | Opening of the Water Gardens on The Rath by Margaret Thatcher |
| 1991 | Closure of the Milford Haven Royal Naval Armament Depot |
| 1991 | Construction of the new Fish Market on Milford Docks |
| 1991 | Opening of Milford Marina by the Duke of York |
| 1991 | The Tall Ships Race started at Milford Haven |
| 1992 | First Texaco Explosion - so serious they offered to buy houses in Rhoscrowther |
| 1992 | Unveiling of the Fisherman Tribute statue on the Rath |
| 1993 | Llys-y-fran dam raised by 1.5m to ease national water shortage |
| 1994 | Gas Reserves discovered off-shore from Pembrokeshire |
| 1994 | Second explosion and major fire at Texaco Refinery - blast felt 30 miles away |
| 1996 | Sea Empress oil tanker - spills it cargo causing environmental disaster |
| 1997 | Opening of the Seal Hospital |
| 1998 | Fish market extended to 3 times its original size |
| 1998 | Gulf stopped refining oil and became the Petroplus facility |
| 1998 | Opening of the current bridge between Hakin and Milford Haven |
| 1999 | Opening of the Electronic Fish Auction on Milford Docks. |
| 1999 | Unveiling of the Statue of Brunel at Neyland by HRH Prince Charles |
| 2000 | Blockade of Elf and Texaco Refineries as Truck Drivers protest over rising fuel prices |
| 2000 | First DigitalDan web site- (dedicated to Milford Haven-) goes on-line |
| 2000 | Ill-fated journey of the second Millennium Blue Stone |
| 2000 | Opening of MITEC (Part of Pembrokeshire College based in Milford Docks) |
| 2001 | Opening of the Phoenix Bowl |
| 2002 | 3 Cruise Ships visit Milford Haven |
| 2002 | First Milford Haven Round Table Firework Spectacular detonated from the Sea Front |
| 2002 | Milford Haven Annual Carnival destination moved from Pill Field to Marble Hall |
| 2003 | First of the big Street Fairs takes over Hamilton Terrace- Milford Haven |
| 2003 | Milford Haven Annual Carnival Magazines replaced by Carnival Raffle Tickets |
| 2003 | Milford Haven Town Council web site goes on-line |
| 2003 | Permission granted for LPG gas facilities at Petroplus and Esso |
| 2004 | LPG Regasification Plant construction work starts at South Hook and Waterston |
| 2006 | Major expansion to DigitalDan.co.uk Website to incorporate extensive photo library of the larger Pembrokeshire towns. |
| 2011 | DigitalDan places a decade of event photographs on-line |
| 2013 | After the closure of Milford Haven Tourist information Centre, DigitalDan creates a temporary on-line alternative |
| 2015 | Milford Haven docks stepped in to save our Fish Week event. It was going to be cancelled at the last minute. |
| 2016 | Having overcome the problems of 2015, Fish Week was expanded from 1 to 2 days. |
| 2016 | Milford Haven Round Table held the first "Real Ale" beer festival on the docks. |
| 2020 | Covid Pandemic places the World in lockdown. Non-essential travel banned throughout UK and many other countries |
| 2020 | Covid measures - Pembrokeshire closes car-parks and toilets in holiday areas, most of holiday season cancelled |
| 2020 | Milford Haven 60th Carnival cancelled due to risk of Covid spread. |
| 2020 | Ice Factory (Burnyates building) demolished to make way for new hotel |
| 2021 | Milford Haven 60th Carnival cancelled a second time due to Covid. |
| 2021 | Military lorry drivers called in when lorry driver shortage left garages without fuel. Both Milford fuel stations ran out of Diesel. |
| 2021 | Withybush hospital was overloaded. (Almost) all visitors banned due to Covid risks. |
| 2021 | Openning of Ty Waterfront Hotel. A significant milestone in the Marina redevelopment plan |
| 2022 | Queen Elizabeth II passed on 7 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle |
| 2023 | Milford Haven granted Freeport status in March 2023 |
| 2023 | King Charles III coronation at Westminster Abbey |
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