THE MAN WHO PUT NEYLAND ON THE MAP

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (April 9, 1806 - September 15, 1859) the famous British engineer who, among other notable achievements, created the Great Western Railway and a series of famous steamships, could also with some justification, claim to have been the founder of the town of Neyland. The terminus of the South Wales Railway opened on Tuesday, 15th April 1856 and the choice of location was entirely down to Brunel who steadfastly refused to terminate his line at Milford Haven. Instead he chose here on the northern bank of the River Cleddau at Neyland and provided prosperity and .work for the area. Nearly 150 years later, local people with the aid of some substantial sponsorship commissioned a statue of the Brunel and had it erected on the site of the old railway station. It was unveiled by H.R.H. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, on the 23rd July 1999. Brunel Quay is now dominated by this statue of the famous man holding a steamship in one hand and a railway engine in the other.

Across the water from the quay, the oil refineries at Rhoscrowther and the ferries at Pembroke Dock compete for attention .....

..... and the toll bridge over the river is also a magnificent sight but there is much of interest on the quay itself. Various information boards abound and there are a number of monuments all pointing to the area's historical hreritage. Anchors and preserved wooden and chain structures give a little of the flavour of nineteenth century engineering practice. It seems fitting that a marvel of twentieth century engineering - the toll bridge - acts as a backdrop to Brunel's pioneering work.

Ample paved walkways and seating areas allow visitors plenty of opportunity to enjoy the area. Even here history is visible and close to hand in the form of the "fence" on the quay edge (below right).

Made from original lengths of railway track used in the 1850's the barrier allows close inspection of the rails used by Brunel. More information can be found on one of the adjacent boards.

From the quay where an inlet enters the main waterway, the marina beyond the yacht repair yards can be seen. What can also be seen in the images below is the amount of cloud cover but to be honest, I hadn't really noticed this whilst there. My recollections of the visit were of a bright and warm day.

A short drive by the side of the inlet from Brunel Quay took us beyond the yards to another car park near the entrance to a wildlife reserve. From here we could get a much closer look at some of the craft moored in the marina. Access to the boarding pontoons at the marina however, was guarded by a caged ramp and coded security gate.

The marina ends where a bridge on the main Pembroke to Milford Haven and Haverfordwest road crosses the inlet.

Our return journey would take us over this bridge and then on to the toll bridge back to Pembroke but although the views down from both bridges were wonderful, it was not possible whilst travelling at speed to capture any photographs. The final picture on this page then, is another of the marina and just to prove I have not lost my memory completely when it comes to the weather, I do believe there's a patch of blue sky in the top right hand corner! As for the yachts, I shall just have to keep on doing the lottery but even if I won, I don't think one would be high on my list of priorities. I'm much happier on dry land.