Haven of History

Timeline of Key Historic Events in Milford Haven

c.10,000 BC

Milford Haven’s deep waterway is formed by the flooding of a ria or ‘drowned valley’.

790 – 1066

Vikings regularly used the haven as shelter during campaigns around the western and southerly coasts of Britain. In 854, the Viking chieftain Hubba overwintered here with 23 ships and lent his name to the local village of Hubberston. 

The name Milford is a reminder of this Viking heritage. It is an Anglicisation of Melrfjordr, a name made from the Old Norse words: melr – sandbank and fiordr - fiord or inlet.

1167

The Norman Marcher Lord, Richard de Clare mustered men and ships in the Haven in readiness for his Invasion of Leinster, Ireland.

1171

King Henry II gathered an invasion fleet of 400 warships, 500 knights and 4,000 men-at-arms in the Haven, before sailing to Waterford and on to Dublin. This was the first time an English king had stood on Irish soil, and marked the beginning of Henry’s Invasion of Ireland.

1405

The French Marshall, Jean II de Rieux landed here on the orders of the French King Charles VI with French troops to reinforce the Welsh Prince, Owain Glyndwr’s uprising against Henry IV.

1485

Henry Tudor landed in the Haven with his uncle Jasper Tudor, ending their long exile in France. From here they gathered an army and marched towards Bosworth to do battle with King Richard III. King Richard was killed and Henry Tudor took the throne, beginning the Tudor Dynasty and ending the War of the Roses.

It is during Henry’s march from Milford Haven that the Welsh Flag: the red dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd on a background of the Tudor colours of green and white, was flown for the first time. It signified Henry’s Welsh descent with the aim of gathering Welsh forces to his cause. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959.

1649

Oliver Cromwell set sail from the Haven with forces to attack Ireland.

1793

Landowner, Sir William Hamilton settled Quaker families from Nantucket and established the town of Milford Haven as a whaling station.

1797

The building of one of Milford Haven's oldest buildings 'The Old Customs House' was concluded and can still be seen near the entrance to Milford Waterfront today.

1800

Following the failure of whaling ventures, the port becomes a Royal Navy Dockyard.

1802

Admiral Lord Nelson visits Milford Haven during his grand tour. Despite his fulsome praise of the port, the Royal Navy does not expand activities here, instead a site on the other side of the water was developed as Pembroke Dock from 1814. 

Following a speech by the Admiral at the newly-built New Inn in Hamilton Terrace, the building was renamed The Lord Nelson Hotel.

1888

On 27th September 1888, the steam trawler ‘Sybil’ was the first vessel to enter Milford Docks. Trawler owners from ports all around the British coast were quick to spot the advantages of fishing from Milford Haven, which offered proximity to good fishing grounds, sheltered anchorage, and direct rail links to London and other markets.

1906

By this year, Milford Haven had developed into the sixth largest fishing port in the UK.

1940s

During the Second World War, Milford Haven was chosen as a base for allied American troops. About 1,000 American personnel were housed in the town during this period. The base here played an important role in the preparations for the D Day landings.

1952

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is formed, the only one in the United Kingdom to have been designated primarily because of its spectacular coastline. Parts of the Haven are within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Along the waterway various sites have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

1958

The Port of Milford Haven was established as a statutory entity. To this day, it remains an independent, commercial organisation with responsibility for maintaining and improving navigation, port and harbour services and facilities. The Port of Milford Haven is an active supporter of many local causes.

1960

In this year, the Esso Company completed work on an oil refinery near the town. This was followed by similar developments by many other oil and power companies over a 10-year period. By 1974, Milford Haven could boast an oil trade of 58,554,000 tons, and by the early 1980s, the Esso refinery was the 2nd largest in the UK.

1991

The Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race came to celebrate the opening of Milford Marina. Launched by HRH Prince Andrew, the event attracted thousands of spectators to Milford Haven to watch the magnificent tall ships racing.

2002

Following on from the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race, the Milford 2000 project continued with the opening of Victory and Vanguard Houses as the area continued its transformation from industrial dockyard to a destination ready to welcome visitors.

2005

Sovereign and Agamemnon House were officially opened in September, housing a range of eateries and shops ever since.

2006

Orion House was opened in August 2006 and is recognised as being the corner building along the waterfront with the balcony which enjoys superb views overlooking both Milford Marina and far across the Milford Haven Waterway.

2007

August saw the completion of the Neptune House and Temeraire House construction project.

2009

The first LNG tanker docked at Milford Haven on 20th March carrying the first supplies to South Hook LNG terminal near Milford Haven. This regasification terminal is the largest LNG plant in Europe which, together with a smaller nearby terminal can handle up to 25% of the UK's gas requirement.

2015

The Port of Milford Haven secured a resolution to grant consent for the Milford Dock Master Plan. This multi-million pound venture will develop and enhance some 380,000 sq ft of Milford Haven's waterfront area. As well as celebrating local independent businesses, the development is looking to attract investment from national businesses, with dedicated space for hotels, restaurants, food, retail and leisure.

2018

The Port of Milford Haven celebrated its 60th Anniversary. A Facebook group to celebrate this milestone proved very popular, and many former and current colleagues enjoyed reminiscing and sharing photographs and memories.

A revised Milford Waterfront Development plan was submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council and a resolution to grant consent to the updated scheme was provided in June.

September saw the 130th anniversary of ‘Sybil’, the first steam trawler to enter, and establish, Milford Fish Docks. 

2019

As part of the Milford Waterfront Development, the new-build Costa Coffee Drive-Thru officially opened on St David's Day and four new Floatel Cabins welcomed their first guests in the summer.

Working with planning consultants, Turley, the Milford Waterfront Development scheme received outline planning permission from Pembrokeshire County Council in November 2019.

2021

Another flagship project in the Milford Waterfront Development scheme got underway with building work commencing on the new Tŷ Hotel Milford Waterfront in January. The hotel will be managed and operated by the team responsible for the iconic Celtic Manor Resort, as part of its expanding Celtic Collection of properties, an important partnership for the Port of Milford Haven and Pembrokeshire.

Three Heritage Walking Trails were launched in July thanks to a collaborative project between Milford Youth Matters, Milford Haven School and the Port of Milford Haven with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project saw Milford Youth Matters working with the pupils from Milford Haven School to develop walking trails that tell the stories of Milford Haven’s history.

2022

A new 100 bedroom hotel, Tŷ Hotel Milford Waterfront opened in early April. This major investment by the Port of Milford Haven has had a positive impact on the tourism economy in Milford Haven, welcoming guests from all around the world to enjoy the local area and Pembrokeshire. Working in partnership with the team behind the world renowned Celtic Manor Resort, Tŷ Milford Waterfront achieved 4 star grading from Visit Wales shortly after opening.

Related Content

Milford Haven Museum

Audio Tours

Heritage Walking Trails