Pembroke Dockyard circa 1901
Extracts
from an article at battleships-cruisers.co.uk, one of the internet's largest naval history
sites. No
indication of the author is given.
The origin of Pembroke Dockyard as a Naval station
is interesting, and in some ways curious.
Of course, at every period of history vessels operating on the coast
have resorted to Milford Haven, and probably even in the days of Strongbow, and in the early time of that mighty keep which
still frowns over a branch of the Haven at ancient Pembroke, there must, from
time to time, have been ships of fighting quality in those sheltered waters.
Later on the importance of Milford Haven was impressed upon the Admiralty by
the events of the Great War, more particularly in regard to the defence of
Nothing, however, was done, but before the war broke out
afresh Milford Haven received some facilities for building war ships. The old town of Milford, on the northern side
of the Haven, about seven miles from St. Ann’s Head, was a place of some
commercial importance, and small merchantmen and fishing vessels had been built
there. As a Naval base, the importance of
the place may be said to have originated with Nelson. Nelson appears to have
instituted a regatta at
So much may serve as
an introduction to an account of Pembroke Dockyard, which grew from the
original establishment at Milford (where)
the shore was rocky, the space somewhat restricted, and the work of
excavation costly. Mr
Stone, the master ship Wright for it was long before superintendent was
appointed-advocated that the establishment should be transferred to the
position where Pembroke Dock now is……… Pembroke Dockyard thus became a
permanent establishment in 1815, and, from small beginnings, increased to such
an extent that it has bee capable of undertaking the largest-shipbuilding for
the Navy.
It would appear that
when the establishment was removed from
The increase in the work of the yard made necessary a
number of additions, and several shops were built and improved, while the
appointment of the Captain Superintendent and an increase in the staff made
necessary the erection of the official residences. Up to that time the officers of the yard had
resided in private houses. The graving
dock was the work of the same period, and after 1850 it was enlarged to its
present size, and a caisson for closing it was fitted in the place of the iron
gates. This dock is in length about
420-ft, with a depth of water of 26-ft. over the sill, but the docking
facilities of the yard are not yet adequate to the larger needs of the fleet.
The principal buildings now in the Pembroke Yard belong to
the period after 1850, and were mostly erected within the next decade, though
building continued at intervals until 1880.
Proceeding from the main gate we have on the left the office of the
Captain Superintendent, with the surgery and the police station, forming a fine
block, and beyond these the offices of the Harbour
master, the works department, and others , and still
further on is the office of the Chief Constructor of the yard. On the other
side of the way are the mould loft, facing the
last-named building, and store sheds, etc.
We now reach the constructive side of the yard, there being eleven sheds
alone the water frontage of the establishment, each with its building slip,
eight of the slips being covered in.
The building slips extend along the frontage
to within about 100-yards, of the eastern boundary wall, the boat slip and the
east camber filling the intermediate space.
Close by are the receiving shed and boathouse. The principal storehouses are to the west of
the main road, and there is a block of storehouses to the south of it, as well
as the fire station. The smithery, now being replaced, is further to the west, and beyond it the foundry with the joinery works and
sawmills near. At the present time the
yard is not fitted in such a way that many large vessels can be in hand at the
same time. As a matter of fact, only two
of the slips are available.
Please see http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/pembroke_dockyard.htm for the full transcript.