Discover a wealth of history in the stories told by a wide range of residents from and around Pembroke Dock

The fascinating history of Pembroke Dock illustrated through old and modern pictures.

Based on extensive research, The Naval History of Wales tells a compelling story that spans nearly 2,000 years, from the Romans to the present. Many Welsh men and women have served in the Royal Navy and the navies of other countries. Welshmen played major parts in voyages of exploration, in the navy's suppression of the slave trade, and in naval warfare from the Viking era to the Spanish Armada, in the American Civil War, both world wars and the Falklands War. Comprehensive, enlightening, and provocative, The Naval History of Wales also explodes many myths about Welsh history, naval historian J.D. Davies arguing that most Welshmen in the sailing navy were volunteers and that, relative to the size of national populations, proportionately more Welsh seamen than English fought at Trafalgar. Written in vivid detail, this volume is one that no maritime or Welsh historian can do without.

The story of Pembroke Dock is one of triumph and disaster, of hope and terrible failure. Nearly three hundred ships were built in the yards, including some of the most powerful ships in Queen Victoria’s navy – as well as four famous Royal Yachts. Then in 1926, the dockyard was suddenly closed, leaving the town without reason for existence. What followed was a brutal battle for survival. The history of Pembroke Dock is a fascinating social study, taking a community from its raw beginnings to full and accepted standing in the world. It makes compulsive reading for anyone who has an interest in history. Accent Press was founded in Pembroke Dock in 2003. Our first quayside offices overlooked the Gun Tower in the dock which is known as one of Palmerston’s Follies.

Whitland to Pembroke Dock is the latest book in the West Wales Railways series which continues the previous South Wales Main Line series covering the line from the Severn Tunnel through to ends of the main line in West Wales. This volume covers the section from Whitland to Pembroke Dock, a largely agricultural and holiday line, centring on Tenby and Pembroke. The line was worked by Whitland depot which was a steam sub-shed of Neyland, with its own allocation, mainly of tank engines. These worked the Cardigan and Pembroke Dock branches until the former was closed under the Beeching closures of the mid-1960s, when the engine shed was closed under dieselisation in 1964. The volume of freight traffic was radically affected by the withdrawal of goods sundries and parcels traffic, but especially by the withdrawal of wagon load freight traffic in 1976, which had brought much Animal Feed and Farming traffic to the line. Like much of South Wales, the traffic is now purely passenger with DMUs though Summer Saturdays still sees a through train now with IETs to and from Paddington, carrying on the service from HSTs. The previous Pembroke Coast Express in steam and early diesel days was the prime train on the branch running to and from Paddington and is still reproduced in the modern preserved steam special workings.