25/08/2026
Our new look - thanks to Welsh Government and Grainger Endeavours!
PRESS RELEASE: Historic Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre receives major facelift thanks to Welsh Government and local benefactor
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Visitors to Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre may have noticed scaffolding surrounding the former Garrison Chapel in recent weeks. The work marks a programme of essential conservation made possible through generous funding from the Welsh Government and from local business Grainger Endeavours.
The Trustees, members and volunteers of Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust are delighted to announce that the Trust has received £146,499 from the Welsh Government to re-lay the paviours on the Centre's driveway, together with an extraordinarily generous £80,000 donation from Elizabeth Grainger to fund the repainting of the exterior of the Grade II* listed building.
Pembroke Dock Garrison Chapel is the only surviving Georgian military chapel in the UK. Built in the early 1830s to serve the Royal Dockyard, it has witnessed nearly two centuries of military and local history. Following the closure of the dockyard in 1926, it was brought back into use during the Second World War as the church for RAF Pembroke Dock and was later known locally as the Garrison Theatre. After many years standing empty and falling into disrepair, the building was lovingly restored and officially reopened by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 as Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.
Today, the Heritage Centre tells the remarkable story of Pembroke Dock's unique connections with all three Armed Services through nationally significant collections of aircraft and ship models, uniforms, medals, artefacts and archives.
In recent years, however, the Trust has faced increasing financial pressures. Rising costs for utilities, insurance and the maintenance of a 200-year-old listed building, have strained the charity's resources. The Chapel’s exterior needed urgent redecoration to protect the fabric of the building and preserve one of Pembrokeshire's most important historic landmarks.
At the same time, the stone paviours on the driveway had deteriorated significantly. Loose and sunken blocks had become a growing concern, creating trip hazards for visitors and presenting particular difficulties for wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility.
Rik Saldanha, Chairman at Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust, said:
"We are immensely grateful to the Welsh Government and to Elizabeth Grainger for their extraordinary generosity and commitment to preserving
Pembroke Dock's heritage. These improvements are about far more than paint and paving—they are about protecting one of Wales' most important historic buildings and ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy and learn from it."
"As a small volunteer-led charity, we simply could not have undertaken work of this scale without this support. It represents a huge investment in the future of the Heritage Centre and in the heritage of Pembroke Dock."
The timing could not be better. Earlier this summer, the Heritage Centre opened its flagship exhibition, HMS Erebus: From Dockyard to Discovery, marking the 200th anniversary of the launch of the famous exploration ship from Pembroke Dock Royal Dockyard.
The exhibition has proved an outstanding success, attracting visitors from across Britain and overseas, generating extensive media coverage and engaging schools, volunteers and community groups. It has firmly re-established Pembroke Dock as the birthplace of one of the world's most famous exploration ships and has created a lasting educational and cultural legacy for the town.
The Trustees hope that the improvements to the Heritage Centre's exterior and grounds will help ensure visitors receive a warm welcome to a building that reflects the importance of the remarkable stories it preserves.
The Trust extends its heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported the project. Their generosity and commitment are helping to secure the future of one of Wales' most important heritage buildings and ensuring that Pembroke Dock's unique history continues to inspire generations to come.
