The French Revolution. More than twenty years of war between Britain & France follow. The Royal Navy needs new dockyards to build warships. The Paterchurch area offers a suitable site.

 

1855 Llanion Hut camp.   

 

1859-1862 France launches her first ironclad warship, La Gloire. Armoured vessels used in American Civil War.   

 

1861 HMS Warrior completed, the Royal Navy's first ironclad.   

 

1862 HMS Prince Consort launched, Pembroke Dockyard's first ironclad screw ship. 1864 Pembroke and Tenby Railway reaches Pembroke Dock. In 1866 the line links with Whitland. 

 

1865 Cholera epidemic in Pennar 

 

1870 "Forster's Education Act" introduces board schools. Pennar, Albion Square and Llanion schools follow. 

 

1874 Sir Edward Reed, chairman of Milford Haven Shipbuilding ... Co., elected MP for Pembroke Boroughs. 

 

1877 Japanese corvette Hi Yei launched at Jacob's Pill private yard. 

 

1882-1888 Battleships Edinburgh, Collingwood, Howe, Anson, constructed in Royal Dockyard. 

 

1888 Local Government Act - Pembrokeshire County Council follows. Pembroke Dock to elect County Councillors. 

 

1889 Welsh Intermediate Education Act permits County Councils to  establish secondary schools, eg. Pembroke Dock County Intermediate School (1895-9). 

 

1891-1896 Battleships Empress of India, Repulse, Renown, Hannibal, constructed in Royal Dockyard.

 

1897-1899 Meyrick Wards. c. 1901  Carr Jetty. It is now possible to install ships' engines & heavy equipment within the Dockyard.

 

1901-1907 Armoured (heavy) cruisers Drake, Essex, Cornwall, Duke of Edinburgh, Warrior, Defence  constructed in Royal Dockyard. 

1902 "Balfour Education Act" abolishes school boards. Borough & County Council education committees now responsible for  elementary & secondary schools.   

 

c. 1903 Llanion Barracks (brick). 1905 Town water supply is complete, with reservoirs & street hydrants. Drainage scheme, begun 1900, under way. 1906 HMS Dreadnought launched, the standard for future battleships. Pembroke Dockyard lacks capacity to construct such vessels. 

 

1908-1912 Scout cruisers Boadicea, Bellona, Blanche, Bolnde, Active, Amphion, Fearless constructed in Royal Dockyard. 

 

1914 Pembroke Dock's centenary: Albion Square lamp standard commemorates, and giant  Procession celebrates, the town's first hundred years. 

 

1914-1918 World war I.  Dockyard builds light cruisers, submarines & tanker, with larger workforce. War may have postponed closure. Bush Camp makes Pembroke Dock an even larger Army depot, with more than 4000 soldiers in town.  

 

1926 Against a background of national economic depression, in the year of the General Strike ... Closure of Pembroke Dockyard brings mass unemployment. Many craftsmen seek work elsewhere.    

 

1930 RAF Pembroke Dock established.  Biplane flying boats arrive. 

 

1939-1945 World War II. RAF Pembroke Dock becomes world's largest operational flying boat base. Sunderland & Catalina flying boats seek out enemy submarines. 

 

1940-1941 Air raids. Enemy bombers ignite Pennar oil tanks, & bring massive destruction to town.  

 

1944 Education act plans reshaped secondary education, particularly grammar and secondary modern schools - shortly after which ... County Intermediate School becomes Pembroke Grammar School, and Coronation school becomes "secondary modern" school. 

 

1945-  Post war developments include ... - Council housing - Pennar & Bush   estates - Factories at Kingswood, later along Ferry Lane. - Marine industries in Dockyard, particularly R.S. Hayes group of   companies. 1949-

 

c.1955 Dock Leaves, arts magazine, published from Pembroke Dock.   

 

1955-7   Pater Hall built on site of bombed Temperance Hall. 

 

1957- 1959   Rundown & closure of RAF Pembroke Dock. 

 

1957- 1971 Development of larger oil tankers, for which Milford Haven is an ideal harbour. Boom in building oil refineries & heavy industry along Milford Haven. This brings  work & prosperity for Pembroke Dock. 

 

1961- 1971 Sunderland ML824 exhibited next to motor museum in Dockyard.  The aircraft is now at RAF Hendon. 

 

1967 Last regiment leaves Llanion Barracks. 

 

1973 Secondary education reorganized Pembroke Grammar School and Coronation secondary modern merge into Pembroke Comprehensive School. 

 

1974 Local government reorganization. End of Pembroke Borough Council. Many functions are taken over by South Pembs District Council, with office at the old Llanion Barracks - until further changes establish a new Pembrokeshire County Council, 1996.   

 

1975 Haven Bridge opens - end of Hobbs' Point - Neyland ferry service. 

 

1979 - Irish ferry terminal in Dockyard Later 20th c.    Developments include: - Port of Pembroke in Dockyard - Supermarkets in London Road area -       Co-op, Lidl, Tesco, Kwiksave.  -  New library on reclaimed land.  Pembroke power station closes after much debate on pollution & orimulsion  fuel. -  Call centre opens next to bridge. -  Golf course on Barrack Hill. -  Housing on old Pennar Barracks site. 

 

1986 The new Pembroke Dock Town Council takes office. 

 

2001 Gun tower museum opens, presenting Pembroke Dock's shipbuilding and military history. 

 

2006 August 8th The Captain Superintendents house , an imposing residence adjoining the dockyard gate and lately the Commodore Hotel was gutted by fire in the early hours