RNMD Milford Haven
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RNMD Milford Haven is a "decommissioned" Royal Naval Armaments Depot located on the north shore of
Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...
between
Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...
and Llanstadwel in the County of Pembrokeshire, Wales. The area is known as Newton Noyes.


History of Site

The Newton Noyes area had previously been occupied as a ship breakers yard. Known locally as Wards Yard, it was connected to the mainline railway via a spur from
Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...
which crossed Castle Pill via a swing bridge. A cast iron pier, built in 1872 with the intention of encouraging transatlantic traffic to unload, allowed a rail / marine interchange.Wing Commander Ken McKay ''A Vision of Greatness: The History of Milford 1790-1990'', Brace Harvatt Associates, 1989.


Construction

In 1934, the Admiralty purchased Thomas Ward's ship breaking yard. Construction work began the following year and by the outbreak of war in 1939 the Depot was ready for action. The site consisted of an extensive storage facility of six armament sheds, comprising tunnels built into the neighbouring valley. A reservoir was constructed on higher ground to the north in case of explosion or fire. All of the tunnels were connected by rail, which also extended to the pier. Housing for the naval officers was located near the former mansion of Castle Hall. At the height of World War II, it employed 1,000 people, and thereafter hundreds of people from the local area. By the 1970s its future was identified as being at risk.Lewis, Roy ''The Towns of Pembrokeshire, 1815 – 1974'', Pembrokeshire County History Vol IV, The Pembrokeshire Historical Society, 1993.


Closure

The site was closed in the 1980s. It was subsequently purchased by
Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...
, although the company never made any use of it. During the early 1990s, one of the buildings was converted into a sports facility. The area has been approved for large scale development into a retail and residential complex.


Redevelopment of Site

On 21 September 2015, Egnedol had announced that they bought the RNMD site and the old Gulf refinery and has put forward a £685M plan to redevelop the site as a renewable energy facility. On 5 January 2017, the Port of Milford Haven announced it had completed acquisition of the western end of the site known as Wards Yard, which had been due to go to auction in December 2016.Port of Milford Haven has announced it bought the Ward's Yard former shipbreaking yard at Castle Pill, Milford Haven
Milford Mercury Article, retrieved 10 January 2017


External links


Forlorn Britain Milford HavenReport – 28 Days Later


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milford Haven Buildings and structures in Pembrokeshire Industrial railways in Wales Military installations in Wales Buildings and structures in Milford Haven Royal Navy shore establishments Ammunition dumps in Pembrokeshire