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Milford Haven

Milford Haven (Welsh: Aberdaugleddau, meaning "mouth of the two Rivers Cleddau") is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales on the north side of the inlet of the same name, in the historical hundred of Roose. Founded as a whaling centre in the 18th century, the town's port is one of the largest in the United Kingdom in terms of tonnage^[1] and plays an important role in the United Kingdom's energy sector with several oil refineries and one of the biggest LNG terminals in the world. Milford Haven is the second largest settlement in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,100;^[2] though its community boundaries make it the most populous in the county, with 13,096 people.^[3].

Origin of name

The current form is an anglicization, with Scandinavian origins. From the Old Norse, Melr, meaning sand hill or sandbank, and fjordr, meaning fiord or inlet, combined to create Milford. As the meaning of Fiord gradually became less clear over time, Haven was added to clarify its status as a town on the Haven.^[4]. The Welsh for Milford Haven, 'Aberdaugleddau', refers to the estuary which is the meeting point of both Cleddau rivers - 'White River Cleddau' (Afon Cleddau Wen) in the West and 'Black River Cleddau' (Afon Cleddau Ddu) in the East. The meaning of 'Aber' is associated with the 'pouring out' of a river, hence the description of the two rivers meeting and forming an estuary. From the 1970s onward, the term Milffwrd can be occasionally heard, having even appeared on tourist maps.

Early history

From the 790s until the Norman Invasion in 1066, the waterway was used occasionally by Vikings looking for shelter. During one visit in 854, the Viking Chieftain Hubba wintered in the Haven with 23 ships, eventually lending his name to the district of Hubberston.^[5] Evidence of metal working in the area was recently excavated, suggesting a level of industrialization.^[6]

A Benedictine priory was established at the head of Hubberston Pill in 1170, as a daughter house of St Dogmaels Abbey. Built on virgin land, it stood alongside the priory on Caldey Island as part of the Tironian Order in West Wales, and was dedicated to St Budoc.^[7] Founded by Adam de Rupe, it stood until the Dissolution under Henry VIII.^[8] In 1171 Henry II designated the area the rendezvous for his Irish expedition. An army of 400 warships, 500 kinghts and 4,000 men-at-arms gathered in the haven before sailing to Waterford, and on to Dublin,^[9] which marked the first time an English king had stood on Irish soil, and the beginning of Henry's invasion of Ireland. St Thomas a Becket chapel was dedicated in 1180, a structure which looked out over the Haven from the north shore of the town. In later years it was used as a beacon for sailors in foul weather,^[10] and ultimately as a pig sty, until it was reconsecrated in the twentieth century. In his play Cymbeline (1611), Shakespeare references Milford in the lines:

The area however was a source of anxiety for the Tudor monarchy. Due to its location, it was exposed to attacks from Ireland, a convenient base from which England could be invaded via Wales.^[12] In 1405, the French landed in force having left Brest in July with more than twenty-eight hundred knights and men-at-arms led by Jean II de Rieux, the Marshal of France, in order to support Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion. It was here that Henry Tudor landed with his Uncle Jasper Tudor in 1485 before his march towards Lincolnshire, ending in the Battle of Bosworth. In April 1603, Martin Pring used the Haven as his departure point for his exploratory voyage to Virginia.^[13] The land comprising the site of Milford, the Manor of Hubberston and Pill, was acquired by the Barlow family following the dissolution of the monasteries in the mid-sixteenth century. It acquired an additional strategic importance in the 1600's as a Royalist military base. Charles I ordered a fort to be built at Pill which could prevent re-enforcement of the Parliamentarian garrison of Pembroke Castle, and this was completed in 1643. On the 23rd February 1644, a Parliamentarian force led by Rowland Laugharne crossed the Haven and landed at Castle Pill. The fort was gunned from both land and water, and a garrison was placed in Steynton church to prevent a Royalist attack from the garrison at Haverfordwest. The fort was eventually surrendered, and quickly taken, along with St Thomas a Becket chapel^[14]. By the late 1700s, the two creeks which would delimit the future town of Milford's boundaries to the east and west, namely Hakin and Castle Pill, were being used as harbours for ships to load and unload coal, corn and limestone.^[15] A ferry service to Ireland operated from Hakin at the turn of the century, although this ceased in the early 1800s.^[16] Although surrounding settlements at Steynton, Thornton, Priory, Liddeston and Hubberston/Hakin were established, they were little more than hamlets. The only man-made structures on the future site of Milford were the medieval chapel, and Summer Hill Farm, and its accompanying cottages.

The 18th Century - Foundation

By the mid eighteenth century, the lands had been inherited by Catherine Barlow of Slebech, who at the time was living in London. In 1758 she married Sir William Hamilton, and on her death in 1782, he inherited the land in the Hubberston and Pill area. He became interested in the Pembrokeshire coalfield, and the idea of developing the land and harbour into a town.^[16] Hon. Charles Francis Greville, his nephew, was given responsibility for managing the project, and in 1790 an Act of Parliament was granted which made it possible to continue.^[17] In 1791, Mary Morgan visited Hubberston on a tour of Wales, and noted in her journal:

Greville proceeded to invite seven Quaker families to settle in the new town, and in 1792 they arrived with the intention of developing a whaling fleet to service the growing demand for street lighting.^[19]. In 1797 the Navy Board established a dockyard which produced warships. Progress was rapid, and by 1802, Admiral Nelson had been invited to view the town in person as part of a tour to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of the Nile. He spoke glowingly during a banquet held in his honour, commenting on the number of whaleships sent to the Southern Oceans, Milford's status as a primary seaport on the west coast of Britain, and culminated in comparing the harbour with that of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka as to be the two best he had ever seen.^[16] Greville's plans were no less ambitious. At a site on high ground in Hakin, he planned to build The College of King George the Third founded at Milford, whose centrepiece would be an observatory. Although the observatory was built, and indeed scientific instruments were delivered, the college never functioned as such.^[16] A church, dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, was consecrated in October 1808. Located in the underdeveloped eastern side of the town, it remained a chapel of ease until 1891 when Milford became a parish, until that time competing with St Peter and St Cewydd in Steynton.^[16] By the turn of the century, a mail coach was operating between London and Hubberston, arriving in the evening and returning the following day, connecting with the packet service to Ireland.^[20] In 1800 the short lived Milford and Pembrokeshire Bank was established by Thomas Phillips, operating from a branch in the town. It collapsed in 1810.^[21]

The 19th Century - Development of the town

In 1814 the Royal Dockyard was transferred to Pembroke Dock, which quickly reduced the fortunes of the new town. John Bartholomew commented in 1887 that Milford was in a languishing state, although he noted that the commercial docks, at that time under construction, "will probably become a great seat of trade with America".^[22] Robert Fulke Greville inherited the estate in 1824, and in 1853 relocated to the town. He commenced a series of improvements, including the building of a wooden pier and hotel for the Irish traffic, two bridges across Milford's two pills (accompanied by toll houses) and obtaining an Improvement Act for the town.^[23]

The town's population was further boosted by Quaker whalers from Nantucket, and a growing fishing industry that employed a large number of people. By 1849, the district of Hakin was described as a considerable centre of boat building, with approximately 200 "shipwrights residing at that place".^[24] The Milford Docks Act 1874 authorised the construction of a docks in Hubberston Pill, a plan which was estimated to require 2 1/2 years before completion. Contemporary speculation suggested that a journey between London and New York via Milford would now be possible in less than seven days, two days fewer than the voyage on the established Liverpool route.^[25] It was eventually finished in 1888, but the transatlantic trade hoped for never materialized.^[10] Instead, the newly completed dockyard became the home of a sprawling fishing industry. By 1906, Milford had become the sixth largest fishing port in the UK, and in contrast to the general decline in Pembrokeshire's economy and a migration towards the South Wales Coal fields during the 1880s, its population rose. The Pembrokeshire Herald claimed in 1912 that "the fish trade is Milford's sole industry....the population of the town has doubled by means of it".^[26] In 1863, the railway network came to Milford, linking it to the Haverfordwest line and beyond. In 1866, work was completed on an additional extension which provided access to the docks and mining depot on the eastern side of the town.^[27] If the Manchester and Milford Railway scheme had come to fruition, the town would have enjoyed a direct rail link to the Midlands and Northwest England. Between 1875 and 1886 The Great Eastern was a permanent fixture at Milford Docks, remaining there for lengthy repairs. Her arrival into the docks was herralded as an example of the scale of vessel which the town could expect to attract^[16]. On 24 October 1889, the liner City of Rome, part of the Anchor Line fleet, arrived from New York City into the Haven. She anchored in Hubberston Roads, and her 134 passengers immediately transferred to a train at the new station, bound for London. They carried mainly of employees of Barnum's Circus about to commence a European tour, and this represented one of the few examples of Transatlantic traffic flowing through the town.^[16] January 1900 saw the docks become the temporary home of the City of Paris liner, where it underwent light repairs after running aground off the coast of Cornwall^[28].

The 20th Century

By 1901, the town's population had reached 5,102, and by 1931 had doubled to 10,104."^[29] The early 20th century saw a period of increased urbanization of the area. The land immediately back from Hamilton Terrace, bounded by Robert St, Priory Road and Great North Road was now completely built upon. During WW1, the town welcomed a considerable number of Belgian refugees from Ostend, who later erected a memorial in gratitude.^[30] In the period from World War I to 1937, 312 council houses were built in a variety of locations, including estates at Hakinville, Prioryville, Glebelands and Prescelly Place. In 1926 the Urban District Council completed work on an electricity plant, thereby completing the electrification of the town, at a cost of £70,000.^[16] A sewerage plant followed in 1930, The Prescelly Waterworks in 1932, and in the same year the original toll bridge linking Milford and Hakin was replaced with Victoria Bridge. The steep gradient of the Rath was at this time constructed, and in 1939 a Town Hall was opened on Hamilton Terrace, at that time possessing an inbuilt firestation. 1939 also saw the opening of an outdoor swimming pool on the Rath.^[16] WWII altered the rythnm of the town considerably. Nearly 1,000 American military personnel were housed in the town at this time. They manned an amphibious base which included a hospital built in Hakin and a docks complex at Newton Noyes. The base had a complement of 71 officers and 902 enlisted men, and played a role in preparations for D Day^[31]. Milford escaped serious damage from German bombings during WWII. Despite its strategic importance as the home of a large fish market, a mines depot, a flax factory, and housing numerous military personnel, a co-ordinated attack on the town never materialised. In thd summer of 1941 a bomb fell in fields near Priory Road, and later that year, a photographic bomb damaged a house in Brooke Avenue. In neither instance were there casualties^[32].

The Oil Age

By the 1950s, the fishing industry was in decline, and unemployment in the area had reached 11%. There had been a housing boom however in the years following Second World War. The District Council took advantage of recently lifted restrictions, and built over 1,000 new homes to accommodate the rising population.^[16] A new wave of hope however arrived with the prospect of a booming oil industry. In 1960, the Esso Company built an oil refinery near the town, and this was followed by similar developments by many other chief oil companies in a 10 year period. In 1974, Milford could boast an oil trade of 58,554,000 tons, which was three times the combined trade of all the other ports of Wales. By the early 1980s, the Esso refinery was the 2nd largest in the UK."^[33] The industry however was not labour intensive, and did not provide huge labour opportunities for locals, in the 1970s employing only 2,000 workers."^[34] In 1996 the area hit the headlines internationally when the oil tanker Sea Empress ran aground, causing a substantial oil spill.^[35]

Issue with Welsh language

In November 2008, the local council demanded the right to opt-out of a scheme in which official documents had to be translated into Welsh if requested. They argued that it was too costly a scheme for an area with few Welsh speakers. Supporters of the scheme to provide bi-lingual versions of signs and official documents argued that it is a positive, not punitive, measure. Milford Haven was allegedly one of about 10 Welsh councils which opposed having to make such translations.^[36] In late November 2008, the town council agreed to implement the bilingual scheme.^[37]

Attractions

Pembrokeshire Fish Week[2] (June)

Big Weekend[3] (in hiatus)

Carnival[4] (July)

Sport and Leisure

The town possesses a number of venues for sports and leisure. Milford Haven Leisure Centre offers facilities for a variety of sporting activities, including a 25 metre indoor swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, a bowls hall and dance studio.^[41]. The Thornton Hall, located at Milford Haven School, comprises an indoor sports hall and Artificial Turf Pitch. There are local rugby^[42] and football^[43] clubs. Nautical activities centre around the marina and Pembrokeshire Yacht Club, which is located in Gellyswick. There is a golf club on the outskirts of the town, which was founded in 1913^[44]

Media

Milford Haven has two main local newspapers, the Milford Mercury and the Western Telegraph. The Milford Mercury, published since the mid 1990's, is a weekly publication, and focuses on the town of Milford Haven and surrounding areas. The Western Telegraph, published since 1854, is also a weekly publication, and covers the county of Pembrokeshire in scope.

For television, Milford Have is served by the BBC Wales studios based in Cardiff, and by ITV West (formerly HTV) with studios similarly in Cardiff.

Radio stations broadcasting to the town include Radio Pembrokeshire, which has an office based in Milford Docks, and Real Radio.

Sister-city relationship

Milford Haven is twinned as a twin-town with Romilly-sur-Seine, France and Uman, Ukraine.

Town Mayor

Present Lord Mayor - Cllr Tony Eden (Officially Appointed, Monday 18 May 2009)

Deputy Lord Mayor - Cllr Eric Harries (Officially Appointed, Monday 18 May 2009).

Education

Milford Haven Junior school

Hakin Junior school

St. Francis' Roman Catholic Primary School

Hubberston Junior School

Hakin Infants

The Meads (Milford)

The Mount (Estate) School (closed in January 2009).^[47]

Demographics And Population

A relatively small proportion of the community knows the Welsh language. In 2001, from the Milford Central area only 7% of people claimed that they were fluent in the language.^[48] The area is not ethnically diverse, with 99.2% of people identifying themselves as white.^[49]

Religion

St Katharine and St Peter

St David's Hubberston

St Mary's, Hakin

Church of the Holy Spirit, Hakin[6]

St Peter and St Cewydd, Steynton

Roman Catholic

St Francis of Assisi, Priory Road[7]

St Claires, Hakin (Closed and Demolished 2000)

Baptist

North Road Baptist Church

Thornton Baptist Chapel

United Reformed Church

Priory Road Methodist Church

Hakin Point

URC Tabernacle

Quakers

Friends Meeting House

Economy

Milford has seen many ups and downs. At the height of the fishing boom, it was said that "every day was a pay day".^[52] In 1921, 673 people were identified as working as fishermen^[53], by far the most common occupation in the town. The development of the oil industry also helped to boost the town's fortunes. However, the slumps have been just as severe. During the 80's and 90's, the town can be said to have become stagnant, with an unemployment rate which at times topped 30% and no major industry. Into the new millennium, its fortunes seem to have risen, as can be witnessed in the activity surrounding the impending LNG terminal, and all the new building works which accompany it and its connection to the controversial South Wales Gas Pipeline. In February 2003, Pembrokeshire Council granted outline planning permission to PetroPlus for an LNG storage depot at Waterston, and in March 2004, an additional site was approved at South Hook for ExxonMobil.^[54] International tourism has also increased, with the arrival of transatlantic liners and the revenue they introduce to the town. The Port Authority is aiming to double the number of cruise ships it handles in the period to 2011.^[55] The port handled 53 million tonnes of shipping in 2008.^[56], making in the largest port in Wales, and the sixth largest in the UK. There are two major commercial centres: Charles Street in the historic town centre, and the Havens Head Retail Park located at the foot of the docks area. The marina is gradually acquiring a commercial presence.

Economy in Milford Haven

Milford Haven Port Authority

Murco Oil Refinery

Havens Head Retail Park

Charles Street, Milford Haven

Road

The principal thoroughfare in the town is the A4076, variously described as Hamilton Terrace, Great North Road and Steynton Road. It is the main link in and out of the town, beginning in the town centre and continuing to Haverfordwest. From there, the A40 and A48 can be used to connect with the M4 motorway. This provides access to Swansea, Cardiff and London. Alternatively, the A477 can be followed from Steynton, which follows a more southerly route. Crossing the Cleddau Toll Bridge, it joins the A40 at St Clears. The town centre's road system is based on a grid pattern and as such is relatively straightforward to navigate. There is ample car parking available. At present, this is free to motorists, although Pembrokeshire County Council has indicated its intent to introduce charges.^[57] The route to Hakin and the western side of the town is via Victoria Bridge over the docks. The current bridge is actually the third version.

Bus

A number of bus routes pass through the town, operated by a combination of independent companies and Pembrokeshire County Council subsidies. Services include a town circular, Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock and St Davids^[58]. National Express operate services to both London and Birmingham via Steynton^[58]

Rail

The town in served by Milford Haven railway station. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Arriva Trains Wales on the West Wales Line. It is the terminus, and from here, trains depart every two hours to Manchester Piccadilly via Carmarthen, Swansea, and Cardiff Central.

Water

The nearby ports of Pembroke Dock and Fishguard offer regular links to Ireland. Irish Ferries provides a Rosslare - Pembroke Dock route, and Stena Line operates between Rosslare - Fishguard.^[59].

Air

Haverfordwest Aerodrome, located some 12 miles north of the town, operates private hire and chartered services.^[60]. Cardiff International Airport offers regular flights to the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond.

Districts

The town itself comprises a number of districts. Milford Haven is actually the more recent, with only a couple of extant buildings pre-dating 1790. Hakin and Hubberston are older, and situated to the west of the main town. Steynton is a medieval village to the north, no longer separated due to the expansion of houses. Lower Priory, with the remains of a very early religious priory, is located in a natural valley. Thornton can also be found near the priory.

Architecture

Architecture in Milford Haven can be divided into roughly three broad periods of building. The number of buildings which pre-date the town's official foundation in 1790 are scarce. These include a Medieval priory, and a twelfth century chapel. They do not however impact significantly on the landscape of the town.

The initial phase of construction is located in the area central to the town, the there parallel streets of Hamilton Terrace, Charles Street And Robert Street. These three major highways are divided by perpendicular avenues such as Fulke Street, Mansfield Street and Dartmouth Street. This area is notable for fine Georgian houses and marked a number of civic buildings, including the Town Hall, a public gardens and the town's original Post Office. It also houses the majority of the town's financial institutions, such as banks, building societies and the traditional retail hub, Charles Street.


A flat in Milford's Mount Estate, a large Council development

By the late nineteenth century, the land directlty above this central area was being developed. To house the growing population, rows of terrace houses were built, which slowly encompased the area north up to Marble Hall Road, and east to Pill. Notable examples are Shakespeare Avenue and Starbuck Road. The Great North Road took a northerly route which sliced this new district in two. By the turn of the twentieth century, there was a recognized need to provide accommodation to poorer families. As a result, much former argricultural land was bought, and new Council Housing was built. These were frequently in large estates of hosues, such as Howarth Close, Haven Drive and The Gleebelands Esate. They transformed previously rural areas into an urban landscape, and considerably increased Milford's density. Council estates were built throughout the twentieth century, one of the most recent and largest examples being The Mount Estate, which has been the scene of a number of anti-social incidents.^{[61] [62]}.

As the twentieth century drew to a close, and into the twentyfirst, private housing estates became more popular. They helped to swallow the gap between Milford and Steynton in particular, and also appeared in Hakin.

Climate

Milford Haven enjoys a mild climate. Its proximity to the coast contributes to wet winters, but it enjoys generous a amount of sunshine. The nearby village of Dale receives over 1,800 hours of sunshine a year.^[63]

Notable Residents

Helen Watts, a contralto educated at the Royal Academy of Music and awarded the CBE in 1978. Born in Milford Haven in 1927.

Arthur Symons, poet, critic and magazine editor. Between 1895-1896, he co-edited the The Savoy. Born in Milford Haven in 1865, the son of a Wesleyan minister.

George Winter, actor. Appeared in the films Scum, All Quiet on the Western Front, and TV dramas Knights of God and Merlin Of the Crystal Cave. Born in Milford Haven.

Howell Davis, pirate, shot dead on the Portuguese island of Príncipe. Born circa 1690.

Hubert William Lewis VC, awarded the Victoria Cross for acts of bravery during WW1 in October 1916. Born in Milford Haven 1896.

Isaac Davis, former seaman engaged in the fur trade between the Pacific Northwest and China, he became an advisor to Kamehameha I, and helped form the Kingdom of Hawaii. Born in Milford Haven circa 1758.

Sarah Waters, novelist and author of Tipping the Velvet, Affinity and Fingersmith. Born in Neyland in 1966, and attended Milford Haven School.

Anna Williams, poet and companion of Samuel Johnson. Born in Rosemarket in 1706.

Jean-Louis Barrallier, hired by Greville and Hamilton to assist in the construction of Milford Docks. Born Toulon, France in 1751. Father of Francis Barrallier.

Robert Fulke Greville, politician, soldier and landowner, and nephew of Charles Francis Greville. Resided in Milford from 1853 until his death in 1867.

John Zephaniah Holwell, surgeon, employee of the English East India Company and survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta. Resident and ownder of Castle Hall in the 1770's.^[64]

Charles George Gordon, a British army officer and administrator. He is remembered for his campaigns in China and northern Africa. Posted to Milford in the early 1850's to assist in the fortification of the Haven.

Charles Norris, topographical etcher and writer who is best known for his landscape work of the Welsh countryside. Relocated to Milford in 1800 before he moved to Tenby in 1810.

Nick Ainger, British Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South. Moved to Milford in 1967.

Alexander Cordell, novelist and author of thirty acclaimed works including Rape of the Fair Country, The Hosts of Rebecca and Song of the Earth. Lived for a short period in Milford.

Cultural references

Milford Haven features in the plays of Shakespeare, notably Cymbeline [8].

The town lends its name to the fictional American town of Milford Haven, created by Mara Purl.

Slipping Away From Milford[9] is a novel set in Milford Haven in the late 1950s.

The Haven was used as a setting for BBC drama The Onedin Line in 1978.