Milford Haven Museum

History of the Museum

Milford Haven Museum is located in Milford Docks in the Old Customs House. The building dates back to 1797 and was one of the first to be constructed in the new town of Milford Haven when Sir William Hamilton received Royal Assent to build the town and port.

As its name suggests it was used as a Customs House in what was a thriving port in Milford Haven’s early days as a whaling port. During the two World Wars the building was an assembly point for minesweeping convoys. The end of the Second World War saw a transition into one of the most important ship’s chandlers and trawler supply companies in the docks.

The building was taken over by the Milford Haven Heritage and Maritime Trust in 1986. Unfortunately, the building was derelict by this time. It was renovated and opened as part of the Milford Haven Bicentenary Celebrations as a museum in 1990.

Today the museum is run by a team of volunteers who are happy to chat about the history of Milford Haven and the incredible displays in the museum. Models of ships adorn the displays telling the story of maritime trade that provided employment for so many.

Milford Museum Today

A perfect wet weather attraction, the museum displays tell the history of Milford Haven and the docks from its earliest days as a whaling port, its fishing industry and importance to the nation during two World Wars, right up to the present day and its importance within the energy sector. Check out the interesting facts relating to the use of oil in our everyday lives – it isn’t just used for heating our homes and enabling us to drive vehicles.

Displays, Models and History

There are detailed models of ships to delight both historians and model enthusiasts alike. Full-sized waxworks of people including Lord Nelson will make you think you are standing next to him! Interactive displays will occupy the little ones while adults read up on the history of the area.
Who was responsible for siting a town at Milford Haven? Why was a port built here? Why was Milford Haven a whaling port and why was the whale oil was shipped to London? Can you spot the early use of recycling? How long ago was bitumen (or pitch) first used? How long ago did over-fishing become a problem? We think you will be quite surprised at some of the answers to these and many other questions you have.

With the advent of the whaling and fishing industries came other businesses in support of them; shipbuilding, sail-making, fish gutting and processing to name but a few. A myriad of skills was required to develop and run the businesses, all of which provided work and therefore supported the local area making West Wales a thriving economy.