Neyland
Coordinates: 51°42′41″N 4°56′43″W / 51.711272°N 4.945231°W
| Neyland | |
 View of Neyland High Street and Town Hall |
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 Neyland
Neyland shown within Pembrokeshire |
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| Population | 3,276 (2001 census) |
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| OS grid reference | SM965055 |
| Principal area | Pembrokeshire |
| Ceremonial county | Dyfed |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MILFORD HAVEN |
| Postcode district | SA73 |
| Dialling code | 01646 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Preseli Pembrokeshire |
| Welsh Assembly | Preseli Pembrokeshire |
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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.
History
Neyland was a small fishing village in the parish of Llanstadwell, but in 1856 it became the site for the western terminus of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway[1][2] with a transatlantic terminal for the largest ships of the time. It was selected instead of the other possible location Abermawr.[3] 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 8 ft bronze statue of Brunel was stolen from its site in the towns marina, presumably for its metallurgic value.[4]
Sport and leisure
Neyland has a long sporting history and is home to many sporting groups. These include Neyland Cricket Club [1] (A Founder member of the Pembroke County Cricket Club) established in 1889, Neyland RFC (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.
Notable people
- Lord Gordon Parry of Neyland (1925–2004), Labour politician
- Sarah Waters, novelist, Tipping the Velvet
References
- ^ History of Neyland Simon Hancock - bbc.co.uk - 09 Nov 2006
- ^ Jones, Stephen K. (2006). Brunel in South Wales. II: Communications and Coal. Stroud: The History Press. p. 167. ISBN 9780752439181.
- ^ British beach of the week: Abermawr telegraph.co.uk 3.Sept.2007
- ^ BBC News: Brunel statue stolen from plinth
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.
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