West Wales Maritime Museum

About the museum

The museum stands in Hancock’s Yard on the waterfront at Pembroke Dock, a boatyard that dates back to 1804 and has a slipway and a tidal dry dock. The Hancock family ran their boatbuilding business there from 1921 to 1979. The West Wales Maritime Heritage Society was founded in 1984 by a group of enthusiasts to research, preserve and show the maritime history and skills of the region, and it opened the museum in August 2015. The museum became accredited in 2023.

The museum building holds smaller craft, navigation instruments, working models, shipwrights’ tools, a steam engine, radio equipment, photographs and model ships. Outside, guides show visitors the workshops, the forge, the boat port and the restoration of the historic Fishguard lifeboat Charterhouse, which came to the yard in 2020. Charterhouse was one of the first lifeboats designed with an inboard petrol engine and is listed on the National Historic Ships register.

The society is a volunteer-run charity and the yard is a working boatyard where boats are restored and sailed. It also keeps the Joan Hague Maritime Library, with more than 3,000 books and records, including handwritten ledgers of the Hancock boatyard.

Highlights

• Historic Fishguard lifeboat Charterhouse under restoration
• Working boatyard with workshops, forge and tidal dock
• Shipwrights’ tools, steam engine and navigation instruments
• Working models and model ships
• Joan Hague Maritime Library

Permanent exhibitions

• The Museum at Hancock’s Yard – Small craft, navigation instruments, working models, tools and engines that tell the story of shipbuilding and seafaring on the Cleddau and in West Wales.
• Charterhouse lifeboat restoration – The historic Fishguard self-righting lifeboat Charterhouse, retired in 1930, is being partly restored as a static exhibit in an open shelter.

Founded

2015

Operated by

West Wales Maritime Heritage Society

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission, parking and guided tours are free; donations are welcome.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Most of the museum has level access to the main exhibition buildings. The library is not accessible, the Tern Shed workshop can be reached with assistance, and the Escape boat is not wheelchair accessible. The site is flat with concrete, gravel and grass surfaces; take care near the water and around historic vessels. A unisex toilet is available. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The museum is described as suitable for all ages, with hands-on puzzles and activities for younger visitors. Children need supervision in the workshops and yard.

Getting there & parking

Boats can normally enter the dock about two hours either side of high water.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

There is no café on site; visitors may bring a picnic and use the outdoor tables overlooking the water.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit