Neyland
Encyclopedia
Neyland is a town in Pembrokeshire
, Wales
, lying on the River Cleddau
and the upstream end of the Milford Haven
estuary. The nearby Cleddau Bridge
crosses the river, linking Neyland to Pembroke Dock
.
, but in 1856 it became the site for the western terminus of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
's Great Western Railway
with a transatlantic terminal for the largest ships of the time. It was selected instead of the other possible location Abermawr. The town then grew rapidly to serve the port. An earlier plan (1846) to build the terminal at Goodwick
was revived in 1899, and the more substantial port there was opened in 1906.
Many people relocated from Neyland to Goodwick and Fishguard
at that time. Neyland was partially reprieved because silting of Goodwick harbour restricted its use, and for a little over one hundred years, Neyland was a busy rail and sea port
. But in 1964 the Neyland terminal ceased operation. In the 1980s redevelopment saw the creation of a new marina and rehabilitation
of the old railway yard
. Some of the original Brunel iron wide gauge railway tracks
can be seen today in use as safety barriers
around the quay.
The Rail Terminus
used to connect to a ferry that ran across the Cleddau to Hobbs Point from where there was a bus service to Pembroke Dock and Pembroke. This was stopped when the Cleddau Bridge
was completed in the seventies.
In August 2010, an 8ft bronze statue of Brunel was stolen from its site in the towns marina, presumably for its metallurgic value.
(a rugby union
club established in 1885) and Neyland AFC to name just the big few.
Watersports such as sailing are also popular in the area and the town has its own yacht club
, situated on the northern bank of the river.
Attractions in the town include the neighbouring Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
and a marina
.
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, lying on the River Cleddau
River Cleddau
The River Cleddau consists of the Eastern and Western Cleddau rivers in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. They unite to form the Daugleddau estuary, which forms the important harbour of Milford Haven....
and the upstream end of the Milford Haven
Milford Haven (harbour)
Milford Haven Waterway is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The Haven is a ria or drowned valley flooded at the end of the last Ice Age. formed by the Pembroke River and the Daugleddau estuary, and winds west to the sea...
estuary. The nearby Cleddau Bridge
Cleddau Bridge
The Cleddau Bridge is a toll bridge on the A477 road that spans the River Cleddau between Neyland and Pembroke Dock, Wales. It was originally called the Milford Haven Bridge, Due to errors in the box girder design it collapsed during construction in 1970 and did not become operational until...
crosses the river, linking Neyland to Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
.
History
Neyland was a small fishing village in the parish of LlanstadwellLlanstadwell
Llanstadwell is a small village in south Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village is set along the River Cleddau.The village has its own community council and is part of the Neyland West Electoral ward of Pembrokeshire county council.-External links:*...
, but in 1856 it became the site for the western terminus of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
's Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
with a transatlantic terminal for the largest ships of the time. It was selected instead of the other possible location Abermawr. The town then grew rapidly to serve the port. An earlier plan (1846) to build the terminal at Goodwick
Goodwick
Goodwick is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard. Goodwick was a small fishing village in the parish of Llanwnda, but in 1887 work commenced on a railway connection and harbour, and the village grew rapidly to service this...
was revived in 1899, and the more substantial port there was opened in 1906.
Many people relocated from Neyland to Goodwick and Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
at that time. Neyland was partially reprieved because silting of Goodwick harbour restricted its use, and for a little over one hundred years, Neyland was a busy rail and sea port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
. But in 1964 the Neyland terminal ceased operation. In the 1980s redevelopment saw the creation of a new marina and rehabilitation
Land rehabilitation
Land rehabilitation is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process has resulted in its damage...
of the old railway yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
. Some of the original Brunel iron wide gauge railway tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
can be seen today in use as safety barriers
Safety barriers
A safety barrier is a component which prevents access to a dangerous area. In an industrial system, it is a guard such as a fence or window, designed to keep the operator away from moving parts or other hazards. It is commonly used to mitigate risk in the Hazard-Barrier-Target model, as studied in...
around the quay.
The Rail Terminus
Neyland railway station
Neyland railway station was on the north bank of the Milford Haven Waterway in Pembrokeshire, Wales.-History:The Great Western Railway wished to link their system to Ireland. To do this, they supported the South Wales Railway , which would run from to a port in west Wales; steamships would then...
used to connect to a ferry that ran across the Cleddau to Hobbs Point from where there was a bus service to Pembroke Dock and Pembroke. This was stopped when the Cleddau Bridge
Cleddau Bridge
The Cleddau Bridge is a toll bridge on the A477 road that spans the River Cleddau between Neyland and Pembroke Dock, Wales. It was originally called the Milford Haven Bridge, Due to errors in the box girder design it collapsed during construction in 1970 and did not become operational until...
was completed in the seventies.
In August 2010, an 8ft bronze statue of Brunel was stolen from its site in the towns marina, presumably for its metallurgic value.
Sport and leisure
Neyland has a long sporting history and is home to many sporting groups. These include Neyland Cricket Club http://NeylandCricketClub.co.uk (A Founder member of the Pembroke County Cricket Club) established in 1889, Neyland RFCNeyland RFC
Neyland Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Neyland in West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets....
(a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club established in 1885) and Neyland AFC to name just the big few.
Watersports such as sailing are also popular in the area and the town has its own yacht club
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
, situated on the northern bank of the river.
Attractions in the town include the neighbouring Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is a national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales.It was established as a National Park in 1952, and is the only one in the United Kingdom to have been designated primarily because of its spectacular coastline...
and a marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
.
Notable people
- Lord Gordon Parry of NeylandGordon Parry, Baron ParryGordon Samuel David Parry was a Welsh Labour politician. He was created a Life Peer as Lord Parry of Neyland on 21 January 1976 by the Prime Minister Harold Wilson....
(1925–2004), Labour politician - Sarah WatersSarah WatersSarah Waters is a British novelist. She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society, such as Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith.-Childhood:Sarah Waters was born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1966....
, novelist, Tipping the VelvetTipping the VelvetTipping the Velvet is an historical novel written by Sarah Waters published in 1998. Set in Victorian England during the 1890s, it tells a coming of age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself...
External links
- Council website
- Photos of Neyland and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
- Neyland Cricket Club Website
Further reading
- Hancock, Simon ,Chronicle of a Ministry, CIT Brace Harvatt, Haverfordwest, copyright 2002.
- Bill Morgan and Bette Meyrick , Behind the Steam, KRB Publications. Autobiography of a GWR driver from Neyland with much background about the town.