Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire
Historical Description
Milford Haven, the estuary of the river Cleddau in Pembrokeshire. It begins in the southern vicinity of Haverfordwest, extends in a southerly direction with inconsiderable width to a distance of about 5½ miles, makes then a sudden bend to the west, and extends thence westward about 12 miles to the sea at St Ann's Head. Only the lower or westward reach of it is usually called Milford Haven, and this is from 1 to 2 miles wide, has five bays or considerable inlets, ten creeks or lesser inlets, and no fewer than thirteen roadsteads, affording anchorage to the largest ships. It forms the finest harbour in the kingdom, large, safe, and deep enough to hold the entire British navy; it is well sheltered from storms by undulating hills around it, and admits such easy entrance that a vessel may safely run into it without anchor or cable; it has in most parts a depth of from 15 to 19 fathoms, and in less favourable parts a depth of from 6 to 12 fathoms; and it washes or leads up to the quays of Milford, New Milford, Pembroke, and Haverfordwest. The fleet of Henry II. started from it to conquer Ireland, the French invading army of 12,000 men in the time of Henry IV. landed at it to support Owen Glendower, and the Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII., disembarked at it on his return from. Brittany, was received at it by Rhys ab Thomas with a select body of Welsh troops, and marched hence to Bosworth Field. Shakespeare also, in " Cymbeline," brings Imogene hither to meet her husband. The surrounding seaboard is scant of trees, and not abundant in verdure, and it presents an aspect more desolate than picturesque. The N side, reckoned from the entrance upward, has St Ann's light, Dale Bay, Stack Rock, Sandy Haven, Man of War or Milford Road, and Ney-land or New Milford Road; and the S side has Thorn, Rat and Sheep Islands, Angle Bay, and Pennarmouth Creek, the last leading to Pembroke. Fortifications have been constructed by the Government at various points-Popton, South Hook, Blockhouse, Dale Point, Stack Rock, and Thorn Island. See MILFORD, Pembrokeshire.
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Pembrokeshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Milford Haven are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following newspapers online: