Milford Haven

Milford Haven (Welsh: Aberdaugleddau) is located near the River Cleddau, and with a population of around 15,000 is the largest town in Pembrokeshire.

Understand
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name. Designed to a grid pattern, it was originally intended by the founder, Sir William Hamilton, to be a whaling centre, though by 1800 it was developing as a Royal Navy dockyard which it remained until the dockyard was transferred to Pembroke in 1814. It then became a commercial dock, with the focus moving in the 1960s, after the construction of an oil refinery built by the Esso Company, to logistics for fuel oil and liquid gas. By 2010 the town's port has become the fourth largest in the United Kingdom in terms of tonnage and plays an important rôle in the United Kingdom's energy sector with several oil refineries and one of the biggest LNG terminals in the world.

Milford is the second largest settlement in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 12,830; while with 13,086 people its community boundaries make it the most populous in the county. As a Welsh local government community, Milford takes in the town of Milford itself and its suburbs, including Hakin, Hubberston, Liddeston, and Steynton. The natural harbour of the Haven was known as a safe port and was exploited for several historical military operations throughout the second millennium. Campaigns conducted from the Haven included part of Henry II's Invasion of Ireland in 1171 and Cromwell's own attack on Ireland in 1649, while forces which have disembarked at the point include Jean II de Rieux's 1405 reinforcement of the Glyndŵr Rising. In 1485, Henry VII landed at the Milford Haven Waterway before marching on England. In 1802 Lord Nelson visited Milford Haven and declared it as one of the finest harbours ever seen. The Quakers developed it as a whaling port in the late 18th century, and following their departure it was used as a naval dockyard and provided the base for a large fishing and oil industry.

By train



 * Arriva Trains - there is a direct train service from Manchester via Arriva Trains. From London Paddington, travellers sometimes need to change in Swansea.
 * Transport for Wales (TfW) (Trafnidiaeth Cymru) and Great Western Railway (GWR) operate trains to Milford Haven.

Milford Haven is the terminus of the Whitland-Milford Haven branch of the West Wales lines (Llinellau Gorllewin Cymru). The other termini are Swansea, Pembroke and Fishguard. You may need to change at Whitland.

By bus
First Cymru buses from Haverfordwest, Tenby and Pembroke

By car
From the east: head to Haverfordwest via M4 and Carmarthen. From Haverfordwest take the road to Milford Haven, approx 9 miles away

Get around
Pembrokeshire County Council offers great Coastal buses that travel in and around Milford Haven



Sleep
There is a wide range of small hotels and guest houses in the town.

Go next

 * Tenby. An attractive town located around a picturesque harbour. Tenby is about a twenty minute drive from Milford Haven.
 * St Davids. The UK's smallest city - impressive cathedral.
 * Skomer. An island off the west of Pembrokeshire, embarkation point being 15 minutes drive away from Milford Haven, that is home to one of the world's largest Puffin colonies. Puffins are in residence April-End of July.
 * Pembroke castle.
 * Sandy Haven Beach, Herbrandston