Pembroke Dock offers a clear focus for a stay centred on maritime history: the Royal Naval Dockyard shaped the town’s origins, while collections, military buildings and a waterside viewpoint reveal different aspects of the subject. There is also a ferry connection to Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland. When choosing your destination, you can therefore weigh up whether the crossing or the town’s history matters more to you.
Ferry to Rosslare as a planning consideration
As of 1 September 2026, there are two ferry crossings a day from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland and back. If you are planning your trip around a particular departure, check the timetable before travelling. The ferry connection is therefore a relevant planning consideration; the maritime collections and buildings also provide a distinct reason to explore the town.
Collections on maritime history
The West Wales Maritime Heritage Society is located in the historic Hancock's Yard. The West Wales Maritime Heritage Museum displays small boats, nautical curiosities, historic navigation instruments, working models, tools and photographs, as well as model boats and ships. Together, these exhibits draw attention to different aspects of seafaring: objects and tools sit alongside models and visual material. This allows you to explore maritime history through different kinds of exhibits.
The Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre is housed in the United Kingdom’s only surviving Georgian military chapel. The centre’s HMS Erebus exhibition includes a reconstruction of a 19th-century ship’s cabin, a polar diorama and digital interactive features. Visitors can also experience a pilot’s perspective from the cockpit of an iconic Sunderland flying boat. The centre thus offers a range of perspectives: the exhibition uses a reconstruction, a diorama and digital features, while the cockpit conveys the pilot’s point of view.
Dockyard history and military architecture
Pembroke Dock originally grew up around the Royal Naval Dockyard. Between 1814 and 1926, the dockyard built 260 ships, including several royal yachts and warships. The time span and number of ships provide a concrete framework for the dockyard’s history; the different categories of ship are also part of the story.
The Defensible Barracks on Barrack Hill is an octagonal stone fort surrounded by a deep moat. The West Martello Tower is a 50-foot-high stone structure built in 1851. The two buildings offer contrasting architectural features: an octagonal fort with a moat can be compared with a tall stone structure known as a tower. The Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre adds the history of a Georgian military chapel to this military architecture.
Watch boats from the viewpoint
Hobbs Point viewpoint is at the end of Pier Road. There, you can watch boats and see the Irish ferry. This adds a perspective focused on water traffic to the historic collections and architectural styles. When making your choice, it may therefore help to consider whether you would like to focus mainly on exhibits, architecture, or views of boats and the ferry.
Discover more destinations: Roch, Pontfaen, Castlemartin, Haverfordwest, Fishguard, Camrose, Houghton, Newgale.
For the regional travel overview: Pembrokeshire.
