Discover the rich and fascinating history of Pembroke Dock, a town shaped by its maritime heritage and significant role in British naval history.

Established in the early 19th century as a Royal Navy Dockyard, Pembroke Dock quickly grew into a thriving centre for shipbuilding, where hundreds of vessels, including royal yachts and warships, were constructed.

Over the years, the town has witnessed remarkable events, from its contributions during both World Wars to the evolution of its dockyard into a vibrant community.

Dive into the unique story of Pembroke Dock and explore how this historic town has evolved…

1300s - Before the Royal Dockyard, Pembroke Dock was a farming community called Paterchurch

1814 – The Milford Naval Dockyard Establishment transfers to the Paterchurch site

1815 – Official opening of the Royal Dockyard by Order in Council

1816 – The first ships to be built at the Royal Navy Dockyard were launched

1844 – The Defensible Barracks were constructed

1855 - Victoria and Albert’ was launched - Queen Victoria’s paddle yacht

1875 – ‘HMS Shannon’ was launched - Britain’s first armoured cruiser

1896 – ‘HMS Hannibal’ was launched - The last and biggest battleship built at the yard

1902 – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria visited the dockyard

1913 – Oil tanker RFA ‘Trefoil’ – 250^th ship launched

1926 – Royal Dockyard closes

1930s – The Royal Air Force established a flying boat base where several flying boats were introduced into service, including the Sunderland

1977 – Land acquired for Pembroke Dock Ferry Terminal

1979 – A famous ‘spaceship’ was built for film in the Western Hangar at Pembroke Port, Pembroke Dock’s worst kept secret

1979 - B&I launches its Pembroke Dock to Cork service from a brand-new £6 million terminal at Pembroke Dockyard, featuring the newly introduced ferry, Connacht. The route is later changed to Rosslare instead of Cork

1992 – Irish Ferries started running the Pembroke to Rosslare service

1998 – Pembroke Port Gate 1 was acquired and expands its cargo handling capacity

2008 – Pembroke Port Gate 4 was acquired

2020 – Pembroke Dock Marine gained £60m Swansea Bay City Deal approval for the deliverance of facilities, services and spaces needed to establish a world-class centre for marine energy and engineering

Information acknowledgement: Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre