Four bespoke wooden benches have been crafted from a 100 year old tree stump recovered from the Milford Haven Waterway by a talented local sculptor and the creative ideas of school pupils.

The Port enlisted the help of Gelliswick VC School to come up with designs for the sculpture following the theme the ‘Year of the Sea’. Over 30 ideas were submitted to the Port’s Tourism Manager Karen Lewis who then worked with sculptor Robert Graves to select sketches depicting various elements relating to the sea.

Karen Lewis is delighted with the final product, commenting “We’re so pleased with the new benches which will be located at Milford Waterfront near the lock gates. The area is designed to be a picnic spot for families to enjoy for many years to come.”

Nick Dyer, Head Teacher of Gelliswick VC School, said “We were honoured to be involved in the design of this wonderful bench sculpture. As a brand new school we are very grateful to the Port for including us in such an interesting community project, taking a tree stump that is over one hundred years old and creating something beautiful for Milford Haven’s future. We are very proud of the children’s designs and their enthusiasm in the project, helped by the fact that our Year Four children have recently been learning science through a sea theme. Gelliswick is playing its part in the ‘Year of the Sea’ and as well as being an integral part of this artwork I am sure it will become a much admired part of Milford Waterfront.”

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Photo: Teacher Delyth Evans, sculptor Robert Graves, Tourism Manager at the Port of Milford Haven Karen Lewis and pupils from Gelliswick VC School unveil the new benches at Milford Waterfront


Notes to Editors

Port of Milford Haven

The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s top energy port and Wales’ busiest port handling around 20% of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas.  It is widely recognised in the industry as the energy capital of the UK.

The Port, along with the cluster of energy-related businesses along the Waterway, is a key driver of economic activity in Pembrokeshire, attracting inward investment and supporting over 4,000 jobs.

The Port of Milford Haven also owns and operates Pembroke Port and Milford Dock.  Activities such as cargo handling, ferry operations, fish landing and cruise calls as well as a first class marina are spread across these two sites.

One of the most prominent on the West Coast, the Port is in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only Coastal National Park in Great Britain. It is marked as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and has many areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The Port of Milford Haven is a trust port – an independent, commercially run organisation that has statutory responsibilities governed by its Acts, to maintain and improve navigation and the provision of Port and Harbour services and facilities.  Additionally, the Port provides significant financial and in-kind support to a wide variety of local causes.  All profits are retained within the business to fund these objectives.

For further information, visit www.mhpa.co.uk or contact:
Sara Aicken
Port of Milford Haven
01646 696100
sara.aicken@mhpa.co.uk