Editing Haverfordwest

{{Short description|Town in Pembrokeshire, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = Wales
| welsh_name = Hwlffordd
| static_image_name = <!-- images and maps  -----------> {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| perrow            = 1/2/2/2/2
| total_width       = 250
| image1 = Castle Square, Haverfordwest.jpg
| image2 = Pembrokeshire county hall.jpg
| image3 = Colourful houses, Milford Road, Haverfordwest - geograph.org.uk - 3941231.jpg
| footer = From the top, [[Haverfordwest Castle]] seen from Castle Square, [[County Hall, Haverfordwest|County Hall]], Milford Road}}
| coordinates = {{coord|51.80|-4.97|display=inline,title}}
| official_name = Haverfordwest
| community_wales = Haverfordwest<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://haverfordwesttown.co.uk/|title=Haverfordwest Town Council Home|first=Kieran|last=Warlow|website=Haverfordwest Town Council}}</ref>
| unitary_wales = [[Pembrokeshire]]
| lieutenancy_wales = [[Dyfed]]
| constituency_westminster = [[Mid and South Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid and South Pembrokeshire]]
| constituency_welsh_assembly = [[Preseli Pembrokeshire (Senedd Cymru constituency)|Preseli Pembrokeshire]]
| post_town = HAVERFORDWEST
| postcode_district = SA61, SA62
| postcode_area = SA
| dial_code = 01437
| os_grid_reference = SM955155
| population = 12,042
| population_ref = (Community 2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11124343&c=Haverfordwest&d=16&e=62&g=6491642&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1429365416646&enc=1|title=Haverfordwest parish population 2011|access-date=18 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418164840/https://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11124343&c=Haverfordwest&d=16&e=62&g=6491642&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1429365416646&enc=1|archive-date=18 April 2015}}</ref>
| module= [[File:2024 Wales Pembrokeshire Community Haverfordwest map.svg|240px]]<br />Map of the community
}}
{{OSM Location map
| lat =51.7996
| lon =-4.9677
| zoom =14
| width = 273          <!-- width and height of the frame. numeric input - do not add px -->
| height = 450
| caption = The town centre, showing parish churches
|mark-lat=51.80115| mark-lon=-4.97186|label=St Mary's|mark-size=8| label-size=10| label-color=hard grey
|mark-title=[[St Mary's Church, Haverfordwest|St Mary's Church]]| mark-image=Eglwys y Santes Fair - St Marys Church 02.JPG 
|mark-lat1=51.799619| mark-lon1=-4.969149|label1=St Thomas'|mark-size1=8| label-size1=10| label-color1=hard grey
|mark-title1=St Thomas's Church| mark-image1=St Thomas Church, Haverfordwest (6061).jpg
|mark-lat2=51.802638| mark-lon2=-4.972249|label2=St Martin's|label-pos2=right|label-offset-x2=-2|label-offset-y2=-5
|mark-title2=St Martin's Church| mark-image2=Parish Church of St Martin of Tours, Haverfordwest - geograph.org.uk - 704952.jpg
|mark-lat3=51.808336| mark-lon3=-4.965426|label3=St David's, | labela3=Prendergast|label-pos3=right
|mark-title3=St David's, Prendergast| mark-image3=St David's Parish Church, Prendergast - geograph.org.uk - 811211.jpg
|mark-lat4=51.801410| mark-lon4=-4.9584979|label4=Cartlett| label-size4=11| mark-size4=0|label-color4= dark grey|label-pos4=bottom
|mark-title4=Cartlett| mark-image4=Carmarthen Road - geograph.org.uk - 925793.jpg
|mark-lat5=51.7981| mark-lon5=-4.9644|label5=Priory ruins
|mark-title5=[[Haverfordwest Priory|Priory ruins]]| mark-image5=Haverfordwest priory ruins - geograph.org.uk - 322724.jpg
}}
'''Haverfordwest''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|h|æ|v|ər|f|ər|d|ˈ|w|ɛ|s|t}} {{respell|HAV|ər|fərd|WEST}}, {{IPAc-en|local|ˈ|h|ɑːr|f|ər|d|w|ɛ|s|t}} {{respell|HAR|fərd|west}}; {{langx|cy|Hwlffordd}} {{IPA|cy|ˈhʊlfɔrð|}}) is the [[county town]] of [[Pembrokeshire]], [[Wales]], and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011.<ref name=urban>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Built-up area |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=W37000361 |website=NOMIS |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> It is also a [[Community (Wales)|community]] consisting of 12,042 people, making it the second most populous community in the county after [[Milford Haven]].<ref name=community>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Parish [Community] |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=W04000941 |website=NOMIS |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> The suburbs include the former parish of [[Prendergast, Pembrokeshire|Prendergast]],<ref>{{cite web|title=GENUKI: Prendergast|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Prendergast/|access-date=8 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924134340/http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Prendergast/|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> Albert Town and the residential and industrial areas of Withybush (housing, retail parks, [[Withybush General Hospital|hospital]], [[Withybush Airport|airport]] and showground).

Haverfordwest has a strategic location: it was the [[lowest bridging point]] of the [[Western Cleddau]] before the [[Cleddau Bridge]] opened in 1975.

==Topography==
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2024}}
[[Image:LDHFWNewBridge.jpg|thumb|The "New" Bridge]]
[[File:Remains of the Priory, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.jpeg|thumb|''The Priory, Haverfordwest''<br/>Henry G Gastineau, 1830]]
Haverfordwest is a [[market town]], the county town of Pembrokeshire and an important road network hub between [[Milford Haven]], [[Pembroke Dock]], [[Fishguard]] and [[St David's]] as a result of its position at the tidal limit of the [[River Cleddau|Western Cleddau]]. The majority of the town, comprising the old [[parish]]es of St. Mary, St. Martin and St. Thomas, lies on the right (west) bank of the river. On the left bank are the [[suburb]]s of Prendergast and Cartlett. At this point, a pair of [[sandstone]] ridges extending from east to west and separated by a deep, narrow valley, are cut through by the Western Cleddau. This leaves two high spurs on the west side of the river. On the northern spur, the castle and its surrounding settlement form the core of St Martin's parish. On the southern spur, the High Street ascends steeply from the river and forms the core of St Mary's parish. From the foot of each spur, ancient bridges cross the river to Prendergast: St Martin's Bridge ("the Old Bridge") and St Mary's Bridge ("the New Bridge", built in 1835). St Thomas's parish occupies the south side of the southern spur. From these core areas, the town has spread, mainly along the ridges. In addition to the four ancient [[parish church]]es, the remains of an [[Haverfordwest Priory|Augustinian priory]] are visible at the southern edge of the town.

==Toponymy==
The name of the town means "[[Ford (crossing)|ford]] used by [[heifer (cow)|heifers]]" or "ford used by goats" from [[Old English]] ''hæfer''. In local [[dialect]], it is pronounced "Harford". "West" was added in the 15th century, to distinguish the town from [[Hereford]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Mills, A. D. |title=Dictionary of British Place Names |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2003 |page=232 |isbn=978-0199609086}}</ref> It is marked as ''Herfordwest'' on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.<ref>{{cite web|title=Penbrok comitat|publisher=British Library|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927183108/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/unvbrit/p/001map00000c7c1u00035000.html|access-date=22 July 2024}}</ref> The [[Welsh language|Welsh]] name is said by B. G. Charles to be "merely a corruption of the English name".<ref>Charles, B. G, ''The Placenames of Pembrokeshire'', National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1992, {{ISBN|0-907158-58-7}}, Vol II, p 643</ref>

==History==
[[File:Haverfordwest Quay Street.jpg|thumb|Quay Street]]
Haverfordwest has been [[English language|English-speaking]] for centuries. South Pembrokeshire is known as '[[Little England Beyond Wales]]', but because the markets traded with Welsh farmers in the north and east, there has always been a significant [[Welsh-speaking]] influence. The suburb of Prendergast seems to have originated as an extramural Welsh dormitory, dating from the times when all agricultural trade had to pass through the borough, and the fearful Normans before the destruction of Anglo-Norman power in 1136 tried to prevent Welshmen bearing arms from entering within the castle walls after nightfall.

===Origins===
Scores of Iron Age and Roman coinage and artefact discoveries, and excavations by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust under the direction of Heather James at Carmarthen (Moridunum) in the 1980s, point to significant Roman penetration to this westernmost part of Wales. The strategic position of Haverfordwest with its defensive bluff overlooking the lowest fordable point on the western Cleddau and accessible to sea traffic would have required a Roman presence, probably modest in scale, from the 1st century AD to protect supplies to and from the coast, e.g. the Roman legionary headquarters at Caerleon were roofed with slates from the lower slopes of the [[Preseli Hills]]. In 1992, aerial photography identified a [[Roman road]] running to the west of [[Carmarthen]], past [[Wiston, Pembrokeshire|Wiston]] to Poyston Cross, raising the possibility of Roman fortlets at strategic river crossings at [[Whitland]] and Haverfordwest. [[Edward Llwyd]]'s note to Camden's ''Britannia'' (ed. 1695) refers to a valuable find of silver coins at [[Llanboidy]], the latest coin being one of [[Domitian]] struck in AD 91. In the 1920s Sir [[Mortimer Wheeler]] partially excavated a Roman dwelling or villa at Wolfscastle; work was restarted in 2002 by Professor Merroney. James Phillips, in ''The History of Pembrokeshire'' (published 1909), records a find of Roman silver coins in Haverfordwest, the earliest dated coin a [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] and the latest a [[Claudius Gothicus]]. The museum in which the coins were deposited has been "scattered to the winds" and the whereabouts of the coins is unknown.

Phillips claimed that the pre-Norman name of Haverfordwest was Caer Alun, so named by the Emperor [[Magnus Maximus|Maximus]] (Macsim Gwledig). His sources are not given but the ''Cambro-Briton'' in 1822 also recorded that Maximus, the last Roman Emperor of Britain, a man who for a time divided the Roman Empire with [[Theodosius I]], on withdrawing Roman legions from Britain granted civic status and Celtic names to a number of pacified Romano-British settlements, including [[Southampton]], [[Chichester]], [[Old Sarum]] near Salisbury, [[Carmarthen]] (Caerfyrddin) and Haverfordwest (Caer Alun). Maximus had married Elen, a Welsh noblewoman, and they had three sons. Phillips claims that the name actually given to the town was Caer Elen, in honour of his wife (the name later changing to Caer Alun).

===Medieval period===
[[File:HaverfordwestCastle - geograph.org.uk - 25363.jpg|thumb|[[Haverfordwest Castle]]]]
The ecclesiastical centre of the area (perhaps the seat of a bishop in the [[Age of the Saints]]) was probably one of the several churches of the local St Ismael, most probably [[St. Ishmael's]].<ref>Williams, A. H. (1941). ''An Introduction to the History of Wales'': Volume '''I''': ''Prehistoric Times to 1063''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 120.</ref> This occurred around 1110.<ref>Miles p 12</ref>

The proposition that [[Haverfordwest Castle]] was founded by Tancred, a [[County of Flanders|Flemish]] [[Marcher Lord]],<ref>{{cite journal|first=Mark|last=Muller|title=900 year celebrations for Haverfordwest|journal=Pembrokeshire: The Journal of the Pembrokeshire Historical Society|volume=20|year=2011|pages=53–60}}</ref> is questionable. The Marcher Lords were not Flemish but [[Normans|Norman]] barons originally along the Marches (Anglo-Welsh border).{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} The castle is recorded as having been founded in 1100 by the Norman [[Gilbert Fitz Richard|Gilbert de Clare]]. The Flemings, said to have [[Flemish settlement in Pembrokeshire|arrived in three groups]] in 1107, 1111 and 1151, are likely to have participated in its later development for their own and the Normans' protection from the Welsh warlords. It is recorded that the Constable of the castle in 1207 was Itohert, son of Richard Tancard, possibly a descendant of the first Tancred.

The Flemish presence, reputed to result from floods in the [[Low Countries]], was more likely to have consisted initially of Flemish mercenaries originally in the invading army of [[William the Conqueror]], who in reward for their part in William's victory were granted lands in parts of Northern Britain, and in Wales in the [[Gower Peninsula|Gower]], and [[Geraldus Cambrensis]] recorded their presence in the [[Hundred of Roose]] in Pembrokeshire.

A Fleming, Wizo, who died in 1130 founded at Wiston a motte and bailey fortification, the forerunner of the stone castle, for protection against the Welsh warlords: the Flemings were reportedly unpopular wherever they settled. The precarious position of Normans and Flemings was demonstrated in 1136 when the Normans, having already lost 500 men in battle at [[Loughor]], re-recruited from Lordships from all over [[South Wales]] and led by [[Robert fitz Martin]] at [[Battle of Crug Mawr|Crug Mawr]] near [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] attacked Owain Gwynedd and his army. Routed, they fled over the Teifi Bridge which collapsed; the retreating Normans drowning under the weight of their armour. Their leader [[Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare|Richard de Clare]] had previously been intercepted and killed by Iorwerth ab Owen. Wiston and the castle were overrun in 1147 by Hywel Sais, son of Lord Rhys. [[Ranulf Higden]], in his ''Polychronicus'', records the Flemings as extinct in Pembrokeshire by 1327 but Flemish mercenaries reappear in 1400 when at the behest of [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] they joined an army of 1,500 English settlers who marched north from Pembrokeshire to attack the army of [[Owain Glyndŵr]] at [[Mynydd Hyddgen]]. The attack was repulsed with heavy casualties and legend has it that English prisoners were spared but surviving Flemish mercenaries were massacred or sold into slavery.

[[File:St Mary's Church Haverfordwest.JPG|thumb|St Mary's Church, viewed from Tower Hill]]
[[File:Chapel Haverfordwest.JPG|thumb|St David & St Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Dew Street]]
[[St Mary's Church, Haverfordwest|St Mary's Church]] originated at the end of the 12th century and the current (Grade I [[Listed building|listed]]) building was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=12226 |desc=St Mary's Church |grade=I |access-date=25 July 2019 }}</ref> and prominently visible at the top of the High Street.

Haverfordwest rapidly grew, initially around the castle and St Martin's Church (the settlement being called Castletown), then spreading into the High Street area. It immediately became the capital of the hundred of [[Roose (hundred)|Roose]] (part of [[Little England beyond Wales]]), and because of its pivotal position, the commercial centre of western [[Dyfed]], which it has remained to this day. In common with other British towns, its growth was rapid during the period up to 1300, and its extent<ref>Miles p 28</ref> by then was much the same as it was in the early 19th century. A large town by the standards of the time, its population was probably around 4,000–5,000. It received its first marcher [[charter]] from [[William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke]] sometime between 1213 and 1219, and obtained the lucrative trading privileges of an English [[borough]]. It traded both by land and sea and had a busy tidal [[quay]] on the river below the "New" Bridge. At least ten [[guild]]s operated, and there was significant [[woollen]] [[cloth]] manufacture. In 1545, the town was designated a [[county corporate]] by [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]], with the aim of supporting a campaign against [[piracy]] in local waters. It was one of only two such counties corporate in Wales (the other being [[Carmarthen]]), and remained officially "The Town and County of Haverfordwest" until the abolition of the borough in 1974.<ref name=JISC/>

In common with other large towns in Europe, Haverfordwest was hit hard by the [[Black Death]] in 1348, suffering both depopulation (perhaps by more than 50%) and diminution of trade. Large parts of the town were abandoned, and it did not start to recover until the [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor]] period. At the end of the 17th century,<ref>Miles p 23</ref> the town was still significantly smaller than in 1300. In 1405, the town was burned by the French allies of Owain Glyndwr, although in its early history Haverfordwest suffered less than most towns in Wales from such depredations.

===Post-medieval===
During the [[English Civil War]], the [[burgess (title)|burgess]]es of the borough supported Parliament, while the ruling [[gentry]] were Royalist. As a result, there was considerable conflict, and the town changed hands five times.<ref>Miles, p 177</ref> There followed a period of stagnation in which the comparative status of the town declined.

===20th century===
Some 1,200 men of Pembrokeshire lost their lives in [[World War I]], and Haverfordwest was the location chosen for the [[County of Pembroke War Memorial]], unveiled in 1921. Its current location is Picton Place, close by County Hall, and it is Grade II [[listed building|listed]].<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=87049 |desc=The War Memorial |grade=II |access-date=20 February 2021 }}</ref> Haverfordwest was bombed for the first time during [[World War II]] on 24 September 1940. The City Road and New Road areas were hit, although there had been little preparation and no warning siren sounded. There were no casualties.<ref>Richards, Bill, ''Pembrokeshire Under Fire: The Story Of The Air Raids OF 1940–1'', Paterchurch Publications, 1995. {{ISBN|1-870745-05-1}}</ref>

Haverfordwest today has the air of a typical small country market town, but the centre still conveys the feel of the important mediaeval borough. The once run-down riverside area has been renovated and Bridge Street has been pedestrianised and improved.

[[Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Haverford Township]], [[Haverford, Pennsylvania|Haverford]] and [[Havertown, Pennsylvania|Havertown]] in [[Pennsylvania]], United States, are all named after Haverfordwest.

===21st century===
In October 2022, the remains of 307 people, including children, were unearthed by archaeologists working on the remnants of a [[medieval priory]] found beneath the old Ocky White building, a former department store which closed in 2013. It is believed that the graveyard could have been used until the early 18th century.<ref>{{cite news|last= Scourfield|first=Aled|title=Skeletons: Remains of 240 people under Haverfordwest store|work=BBC News|date=11 October 2022|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63193600|access-date=11 October 2022}}</ref>

==Governance==
===Local government===
[[File:Old Wool Market, Quay Street, Haverfordwest.jpg|thumb|Old Wool Market, Quay Street: Town council offices.]]
There are two tiers of local government covering Haverfordwest, at [[Community (Wales)|community]] (town) and [[Local government in Wales|county]] level: Haverfordwest Town Council and [[Pembrokeshire County Council]]. The town council is based at the Old Wool Market on Quay Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Town Council |url=https://haverfordwesttown.co.uk/ |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref> Pembrokeshire County Council is also based in Haverfordwest, at [[County Hall, Haverfordwest|County Hall]] on Freemens Way.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pembrokeshire County Council |date=30 November 2016 |url=https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/council |access-date=7 August 2022}}</ref>

For local government purposes the community of Haverfordwest comprises five wards: [[Haverfordwest Castle (electoral ward)|Castle]], Prendergast, Portfield, Priory and Garth. The community has its own town council and mayor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haverfordwesttown.co.uk/towncouncil.asp |title=Haverfordwest &#124; Haverfordwest Tourism and Travel &#124; Town Council &#124; Community &#124; Sport and Leisure &#124; Holiday in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire South West Wales |publisher=Haverfordwesttown.co.uk |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028223620/http://www.haverfordwesttown.co.uk/towncouncil.asp |archive-date=2013-10-28 }}</ref>

Pembrokeshire County Council conducted an extensive review of community boundaries in 2007<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=101,1583,1071&parent_directory_id=646&id=12366&d1p1=1 |title=Community Council Boundary Review - Pembrokeshire County Council |publisher=Pembrokeshire.gov.uk |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112123926/http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=101,1583,1071&parent_directory_id=646&id=12366&d1p1=1 |archive-date=2015-01-12 }}</ref> which made a number of submissions to the boundary commission for Wales. These submissions included a number of recommendations for the extension of the Haverfordwest community boundary where there had been perceived community overspill due to housing developments. These suggestions were mostly implemented,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/minutes/pdf_2010_01_26_e.pdf|title=Comisiwn Ffiniau a Democratiaeth Leol Cymru - Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615144258/http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/minutes/pdf_2010_01_26_e.pdf|archive-date=2011-06-15}}</ref> with one significant exception<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/8399931.Victory_for_democracy_in_community_boundary_fight/ |title=Uzmaston community will not be merged with Haverfordwest (From Western Telegraph) |publisher=Westerntelegraph.co.uk |date=2010-09-17 |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112194929/http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/8399931.Victory_for_democracy_in_community_boundary_fight/ |archive-date=2015-01-12 }}</ref> leading to an increase in the number of electors in the Haverfordwest community. One area of contention concerned the status of the village of Merlin's Bridge which continues to have its own community council despite its close proximity to Haverfordwest and a degree of community overspill.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=3021 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-12-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929132118/http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=3021 |archive-date=2011-09-29 }}</ref> As such the conurbation of Haverfordwest and Merlin's Bridge is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire though Haverfordwest's community boundaries mean it is only the second most populous community in the county after Milford Haven.<ref name=community/>

Haverfordwest is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with [[Oberkirch (Baden)|Oberkirch]], Germany.

===Senedd and Westminster representation===
Haverfordwest is part of the [[Preseli Pembrokeshire (Senedd constituency)|Preseli Pembrokeshire]] Senedd constituency, where the local Senedd Member is [[Paul Davies (Conservative politician)|Paul Davies]] of the [[Welsh Conservatives|Conservative Party]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.assemblywales.org/memhome/mem-profile/mem-preseli_pembroke.htm |title=National Assembly for Wales &#124; Paul Davies |publisher=Assemblywales.org |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212202402/http://www.assemblywales.org/memhome/mem-profile/mem-preseli_pembroke.htm |archive-date=2012-02-12 }}</ref>

In the [[UK Parliament]], Haverfordwest is part of the [[Mid and South Pembrokeshire]] constituency, currently represented by [[Henry Tufnell (Welsh politician)|Henry Tufnell]] of [[Welsh Labour]].<ref name="BBC result|access-date=5 July 2024">{{cite web|date=2024-07-05|title=Mid and South Pembrokeshire results|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/W07000100|website=BBC|language=en}}</ref> Prior to the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], Haverfordwest had been part of the [[Preseli Pembrokeshire]] constituency since 1997, represented by [[Stephen Crabb]], a [[Welsh Conservatives|Welsh Conservative]] and Chair of the [[Welsh Affairs Select Committee]], since 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Crabb_Stephen.aspx |title=The Conservative Party &#124; People &#124; Members of Parliament &#124; Stephen Crabb MP |publisher=Conservatives.com |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003115152/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Crabb_Stephen.aspx |archive-date=3 October 2013 }}</ref>

Historically, a constituency of [[Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)|Haverfordwest]] made the town one of very few places within Wales allowed to act as a [[borough constituency]] and elect a member to the English Parliament from the sixteenth century.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/constituencies/haverfordwest |title=Haverfordwest, 1558-1603 |publisher=History of Parliament Online |access-date=2024-12-01 }}</ref> In the nineteenth century, the constituency was expanded by the [[Reform Act 1832]] to include nearby Fishguard and [[Narberth, Pembrokeshire|Narberth]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/haverfordwest |title=Haverfordwest, 1820-1832 |publisher=History of Parliament Online |access-date=2024-12-01 }}</ref> before being abolished and replaced by the [[Pembroke and Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)|Pembroke & Haverfordwest constituency]] as part of the [[Redistribution of Seats Act 1885]].<ref>Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Section 11: Provisions as to Warwick and Pembroke.</ref>

===Administrative history===
Haverfordwest was an [[ancient borough]], receiving its first charter from [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] in 1169. The borough was given the right to appoint its own [[List of shrievalties|sheriff]] in 1479, and in 1545 was declared to be a [[county corporate]]. The borough was reformed to become a [[municipal borough]] under the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]].<ref name=JISC>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Borough Records |url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/c2115630-7fde-371f-8f69-9f7a2174046d |website=Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Swales Barker |first1=Patricia |title=Haverfordwest through time |date=2013 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |location=Stroud |isbn=978-1-4456-1614-8 |page=3}}</ref> The borough covered all of the parish of St Mary, parts of the parishes of St Martin, St Thomas, [[Prendergast, Pembrokeshire|Prendergast]], and [[Uzmaston]], and an [[extra-parochial area]] (deemed to be a parish from 1866) called Furzy Park and Portfield.<ref>{{cite book |title=First report of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the municipal corporations in England and Wales |date=1835 |page=233 |publisher=C. Knight |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433014090470&view=page&seq=369&skin=2021&q1=haverfordwest |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Urban Sanitary District |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/12827428# |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref> Under the [[Local Government Act 1894]], parishes which straddled borough boundaries were split into separate parishes for the parts inside and outside the borough. The part of Uzmaston within the borough therefore became a parish called Cartlett, the part of Prendergast outside the borough became a parish called North Prendergast, and the parts of St Martin and St Thomas parishes outside the borough became parishes called St Martin Hamlet and St Thomas Hamlet respectively. The parishes outside the borough were all included in the [[Haverfordwest Rural District]]. The six parishes within the borough after 1894 were therefore Cartlett, Furzy Park and Portfield, Prendergast, St Mary, St Martin, and St Thomas. These were [[Civil parish#Urban parishes|urban parishes]] and so did not have their own parish councils, with the lowest level representative body being the Haverfordwest Borough Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Municipal Borough |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10164114# |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref>

Haverfordwest's status as a county corporate from 1545 made it independent from Pembrokeshire. When elected county councils were established in 1889 the town was brought back into Pembrokeshire for local government purposes, being under the control of [[Pembrokeshire County Council, 1889–1974|Pembrokeshire County Council]] and losing its separate police force at the same time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Daly |first1=Steve |title=Haverfordwest Borough Police Officers |url=https://british-police-history.uk/f/haverfordwest-officers |website=British Policy History |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A corporation scare |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3670619/3670621/10/ |access-date=8 August 2022 |work=South Wales Daily News |date=16 April 1889 |location=Cardiff |page=2}}</ref> For other purposes the town retained its independence from the county, having its own [[Lord Lieutenant of Haverfordwest|Lord Lieutenant]] until 1931, and keeping its own [[Quarter Sessions]] until 1951.<ref>{{cite web |title=Haverfordwest Quarter Session Records |url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/5310d32a-c3ad-360d-aff8-ab369165de65 |website=Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1949|chapter=101|act=Justices of the Peace Act 1949|accessdate=8 August 2022}}</ref> The status of county corporate was finally abolished in 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]]. One remaining legacy from Haverfordwest's former status as a county corporate is that it retains the right to appoint its own sheriff.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sheriff |url=https://haverfordwesttown.co.uk/town-council/the-sheriff/ |website=Haverfordwest Town Council |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Picton House, 2 Picton Place, Haverfordwest.jpg|thumb|Picton House: Council offices 1954–2020]]
Haverfordwest had a medieval guildhall which stood at the top (west end) of High Street in front of [[St Mary's Church, Haverfordwest|St Mary's Church]]. The guildhall served as the meeting place for both the borough corporation and the Pembrokeshire Quarter Sessions until the 1830s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guildhall / Old Shire Hall, Haverfordwest |url=https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/32077 |website=Coflein |publisher=Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref> In 1837 the county authorities built themselves [[Shire Hall, Haverfordwest|Shire Hall]] at the bottom (east end) of High Street.<ref>{{NHAW|num=12110|desc= The Shire Hall|grade=II*|access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref> The guildhall was demolished and the borough corporation met instead in a room above the north porch of St Mary's Church until that room was demolished in 1861. In 1871 the borough acquired newly built premises at 1 St Mary's Lane to serve as the council's offices and meeting place.<ref>{{NHAW|num=87066|desc=Former Town Council Offices|grade=II|access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Haverfordwest Town Council |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3057469/3057471/5/ |access-date=8 August 2022 |work=Pembrokeshire Herald |date=10 November 1871 |location=Haverfordwest |page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The old council chamber, Dark Street |date=21 May 2008 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_old_council_chamber,_Dark_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_811637.jpg |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref> In 1954 the borough council moved to Picton House at 2 Picton Place, an 1830s house on the bank of the Western Cleddau, and remained based there until the council's abolition in 1974.<ref>{{NHAW|num=12201|desc=Picton House|grade=II|access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Papers re sale of Picton Town House [Number 2 Picton Place, Haverfordwest] Plan |url=https://records.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D-RTP%2fPIC%2f946&pos=3 |website=Pembrokeshire County Council |access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>Telephone directories: 1953 = Town Clerk, 9 Victoria Place... Borough accountant, Council Chamber / 1954 = Town Clerk, 2 Picton Place... Borough accountant, Council Chamber</ref>

Haverfordwest Municipal Borough was abolished in 1974, becoming part of the district of [[Preseli Pembrokeshire|Preseli]] (renamed Preseli Pembrokeshire in 1987) within the county of [[Dyfed]]. A community covering the former borough was established at the same time, with its council taking the name Haverfordwest Town Council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1972|chapter=70|act=Local Government Act 1972|accessdate=31 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|num=34|accessdate=31 July 2022}}</ref> Preseli Pembrokeshire was abolished in 1996 and the area became part of a re-established Pembrokeshire.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1994|chapter=19|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|accessdate=7 August 2022}}</ref> Haverfordwest Town Council continued to use the former borough council's premises at Picton House as its headquarters until 2020, when it moved to the Old Wool Market, a converted late eighteenth century wool market and warehouse building on the quayside.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jamshidian |first1=Harry |title=Should Haverfordwest Town Council move to new building? |url=https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/19582250.haverfordwest-town-council-move-new-building/ |access-date=8 August 2022 |work=Western Telegraph |date=16 September 2021 |quote=Haverfordwest Town Council moved into the Old Wool Market, on Quay Street, at the beginning of December 2020...}}</ref><ref>{{NHAW|num=87036|desc=The Old Wool Market|grade=II|access-date=8 August 2022}}</ref>

==Demography==
The 2011 census recorded a population of 12,042 living within the community boundary.<ref name=community/> The urban area extends beyond the community boundary in various places, notably at [[Merlin's Bridge]] to the south of the town, which forms a separate community but is deemed by the Office for National Statistics to form part of the Haverfordwest built-up area.<ref>[http://www.pembstcc.co.uk/merlins-bridge-community-council Merlins Bridge Community Council] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417090406/http://www.pembstcc.co.uk/merlins-bridge-community-council |date=2015-04-17 }}, Pembrokeshire Town & Community Councils</ref> The population of the Haverfordwest built-up area was 14,596 in 2011.<ref name=urban/>

==Economy==
[[File:Haverfordwest - geograph.org.uk - 13978.jpg|thumb|Footbridge on the [[River Cleddau]] gives access to shops on both sides]]
In accordance with its status as a sub-regional [[Transport hub|hub-town]], Haverfordwest continues to serve as Pembrokeshire's principal commercial and retail centre.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/objview.asp?object_id=3324|accessdate=30 June 2023|title= Pembrokeshire - The Haven Spatial Plan Area Complementarity Study (Executive Summary)|date= 4 September 2009|author= Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Ltd|publisher= Welsh Assembly Government in association with Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park Authority|page=6}}</ref> The development of the riverside shopping centre in Withybush on the outskirts of the town includes [[Marks & Spencer]] in 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/8631421.Excited_crowds_gather_for_M_S_opening/ |title=Excited crowds gather for M&S opening (From Western Telegraph) |publisher=Westerntelegraph.co.uk |date=2010-11-11 |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005004829/http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/8631421.Excited_crowds_gather_for_M_S_opening/ |archive-date=2013-10-05 }}</ref> and [[Debenhams]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Western Telegraph|date=2013-09-26|title=Debenhams opening in Haverfordwest sparks road chaos fears|url=http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/10699792.Debenhams_opening_in_Haverfordwest_sparks_road_chaos_fears/?ref=rss|access-date=5 December 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112225005/http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/10699792.Debenhams_opening_in_Haverfordwest_sparks_road_chaos_fears/?ref=rss|archive-date=12 January 2015}}</ref>

A new town library opened in 2018 in the former Riverside Market building.

Concerns about the relative decline of the historic town centre compared to the growth of the retail centre at Withybush led to Welsh historian [[John Davies (historian)|John Davies]] expressing his concern that Haverfordwest is becoming "a medieval town surrounded by tin sheds".{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}

==Education==
Schools and colleges in Haverfordwest:

* Haverfordwest Grammar School, 1488–1978, became a [[Public school (United Kingdom)|public school]] in the 1920s, making it one of only two public schools in Wales at that time. At one time a boarding school, it became a day only school in the early 1960s.
* [[Haverfordwest High VC School]], an English-medium secondary school, was formed in 2018 by the merger of [[Sir Thomas Picton School]] and [[Tasker-Milward V.C. School|Tasker Milward School]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wightwick |first1=Abbie |title=Nearly 200 schools have shut in Wales since 2013 |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/nearly-200-schools-shut-wales-15722574 |access-date=1 February 2019 |work=[[Wales Online]] |date=28 January 2019}}</ref>
*[[Pembrokeshire College]], an affiliated college of the [[University of Glamorgan]], is situated in the Merlin's Bridge suburb of the town. The college serves as the principal centre of further and higher education in Pembrokeshire. 
* [[Ysgol Caer Elen]], a Welsh-medium school for pupils aged 3 to 16, opened in 2018, replacing Ysgol Gymraeg Glan Cleddau. The new school cost £28 million to build and has the capacity for 315 primary and 600 secondary pupils. The nursery has the capacity for 45 children.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC News|title=New £28m Welsh-medium school in Haverfordwest opens|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45431963|date=6 September 2018|access-date=6 September 2018}}</ref>
*Redhill Preparatory School is an independent school established in 2001 which includes a [[Montessori education|Montessori]] learning component for younger pupils.<ref>{{cite news|work=Western Telegraph|date=23 July 2014|title=Redhill invests £1m for the future|url=http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/business/11361276.Redhill_invests__pound_1m_for_the_future/|access-date=14 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315134757/http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/business/11361276.Redhill_invests__pound_1m_for_the_future/|archive-date=15 March 2018}}</ref>
*Waldo Williams Primary School opened in 2019, combining the former Mt Airey and Haverfordwest Church in Wales VC schools. It is named after the poet [[Waldo Williams]] (1904–1971).<ref>{{cite news|work=Western Telegraph|title=New Haverfordwest school to be named after Waldo Williams|author=David Lynch|date=13 November 2018|url=https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/17218830.new-haverfordwest-school-to-be-named-after-waldo-williams/|access-date=15 February 2019}}</ref>
*Mary Immaculate Primary School, a Catholic primary school.

==Sport and leisure==
[[File:Haverfordwest Leisure Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1445264.jpg|thumb|Haverdfordwest Leisure Centre]]
[[Haverfordwest County A.F.C.|Haverfordwest County]] play [[football (soccer)|association football]] in the [[Cymru Premier]] (the top tier of Welsh football) at [[Bridge Meadow Stadium]], while [[Merlins Bridge A.F.C.|Merlins Bridge]] play in the local [[Pembrokeshire League]]. [[Haverfordwest RFC]], which formed in 1885, play [[rugby union]] at their Pembroke Road ground, and Haverfordwest Cricket Club play at Dale Road.

In 2009, Haverfordwest's sports and leisure provision benefited from significant investment, with the opening of a new £8 million leisure centre situated at St. Thomas Green.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/LOemail/wider_newsdetail1.cfm?codeID=111373&CFID=14376615&CFTOKEN=54490702 |title=Haverfordwest Leisure opens its doors |publisher=Leisureopportunities.co.uk |date=2009-02-27 |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303102256/http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/LOemail/wider_newsdetail1.cfm?codeID=111373&CFID=5704481&CFTOKEN=78451026 |archive-date=2009-03-03 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Improvements to Haverfordwest Leisure Centre as it welcomes back customers |url=https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/19347325.improvements-haverfordwest-leisure-centre-welcomes-back-customers/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Western Telegraph |date=3 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

The kayaking club venture to sea as well as using the rivers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forceshaverfordwest.2day.uk/search?search=rowing&local.x=0&local.y=0 |title=Search Results - Haverfordwest |access-date=2015-02-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227135142/http://forceshaverfordwest.2day.uk/search?search=rowing&local.x=0&local.y=0 |archive-date=2015-02-27 }}</ref>

[[Haverfordwest High VC School]] benefits from a wide range of sporting facilities, including a purpose-built sports centre with a hockey pitch, artificial turf and a full-sized athletics track.

==Health==
[[Withybush General Hospital]] is one of the main hospitals of West Wales and part of the [[Hywel Dda University Health Board]], formerly [[Pembrokeshire & Derwen NHS Trust]]. The hospital has most services, but paediatric and maternity services have been moved to [[Glangwili General Hospital]], Carmarthen.<ref>{{cite news|title=October 20 date set for removal of 24hr paediatrics from Withybush Hospital|url=http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/health/11420905.October_20_date_set_for_removal_of_24hr_paediatrics_from_Withybush_Hospital/?ref=var_0|access-date=30 January 2020|publisher=Western Telegraph|date=20 August 2014}}</ref>

==Transport==
Haverfordwest is served by [[Haverfordwest Airport]].

[[Haverfordwest railway station]] is on the [[West Wales Line]]. It is served by [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]] services to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester Piccadilly]] and [[Milford Haven railway station|Milford Haven]].

Haverfordwest bus station is located beside Riverside Quay Shopping Centre. It has six bus stops with two additional bays for coach drop off/pickup.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=104&parent_directory_id=646&id=7917&Language= |title=Pembrokeshire County Council - New Bus Station to Open on Time |publisher=Pembrokeshire.gov.uk |access-date=2013-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929131950/http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=104&parent_directory_id=646&id=7917&Language= |archive-date=2011-09-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is served by [[Edwards Coaches]], [[First Cymru]], [[National Express Coaches|National Express]] and [[Richards Brothers]].

Forming one of the major "road hubs" of West Wales, the town is at the junction of the [[A40 road|A40]], [[A4076 road|A4076]] and [[A487 road|A487]] roads and several rural B roads, including the [[B4329 road|B4329]] running northwards to [[Eglwyswrw]] across the [[Preseli Hills|Preseli Mountains]]. The A40 connects Haverfordwest with [[Carmarthen]] to the east and [[Fishguard]] to the north; the A4076 connects Haverfordwest with [[Milford Haven]] and [[Pembroke Dock]] to the south; the A487 connects Haverfordwest with [[St Davids]] to the northwest.

==Notable people==
:''See [[:Category:People from Haverfordwest]]''
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
* [[Augustus Anson]], (1835–1877), member of the [[Anson family]] and recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], born at Slebech Hall.
* [[Christian Bale]] (born 1974), actor who played the protagonist in ''[[Empire of the Sun (film)|Empire of the Sun]]'' and [[Batman]] in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s [[The Dark Knight Trilogy]], was born in Haverfordwest
* [[Stephen Crabb]] (born 1973), politician, MP for [[Preseli Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Preseli Pembrokeshire]] since 2005; brought up in Haverfordwest.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4087526.stm Meet the MP: Stephen Crabb] ''[[BBC News]]'', 20 December 2005</ref>
* Captain [[Francis Cromie]]  (1882–1918), Royal Navy commander and the first member of the British military to lose his life in Russia after the revolution, attended Haverfordwest Grammar School. A a street in the town and house at the Grammar School were named after him. He was killed while defending the British Embassy in St Petersburg from attacking revolutionaries. 
* [[Geraint Wyn Davies]] (born 1957), a Welsh-born Canadian actor, spent his early life in the town, where his father was the Congregational Church minister.
* [[Connie Fisher]] (born 1983), actress and singer, the winner of the BBC talent show ''[[How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?]]'', lived in Haverfordwest from the age of six.
* [[June and Jennifer Gibbons]] (born 1963), the [[selective mutism|selective mute]] twins, whose story gained international interest after [[Marjorie Wallace (SANE)|Marjorie Wallace]] documented their story, lived in Haverfordwest for much of their childhood.
* [[George Herbert Harries]] (1860–1934), an American businessman, newspaper editor and U.S. Army major general; born in the town.<ref name=mark>{{cite book |title=One Thousand American Men of Mark Today |year=1916 |publisher=American Men of Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/onethousandamer00unkngoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/onethousandamer00unkngoog/page/n417 418]}}</ref>
* [[Terry Higgins]] (1945–1982), among the first people known to die of an AIDS-related illness in the UK, lived in Haverfordwest as a child. [[Terrence Higgins Trust|The Terrence Higgins Trust]] is named after him.<ref name="he left Haverfordwest as a teenager due to feeling alienated by his sexuality">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18726184|title=BBC News - Terrence Higgins' legacy, 30 years after death|work=BBC News|date=5 July 2012 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202141936/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18726184|archive-date=2017-12-02}}</ref>  
* [[Rhys Ifans]] (born 1967), actor, starred in the 1997 black comedy ''[[Twin Town]]'' and played Hugh Grant's delusional flatmate in ''[[Notting Hill (film)|Notting Hill]]'', was born in Haverfordwest
* [[Elis James]] (born 1980), stand-up comedian and actor, was born in Haverfordwest and raised in [[Carmarthen]].
* [[Sir William James, 1st Baronet]] (1721–1783), born at Bolton Hill Mill, near Haverfordwest; 18th C. naval officer.<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= James, William (1721-1783) |volume= 29 |last= Laughton |first= John Knox  |author-link= John Knox Laughton |pages = 228-229 |short=1}}</ref>
* [[Gwen John]] (1876–1939), artist, was born in Haverfordwest; her younger brother [[Augustus John]] (1878–1961), also an artist, was born in nearby [[Tenby]] and lived in Haverfordwest.
* [[Zoe Lyons]] (born 1971), comedian, born in Haverfordwest. 
* [[Chelsea Manning]] (born 1989), American activist and whistleblower, lived in Haverfordwest as a child.<ref>{{cite news|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/us/09manning.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906170944/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/us/09manning.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 September 2012|date=8 August 2010|last=Thompson|first=Gareth|title=Early Struggles of Soldier Charged in Leak Case|access-date=20 August 2018}}</ref>
* [[James Miller (filmmaker)|James Miller]] (1968–2003), a Welsh cameraman, producer and director; killed by [[Israel Defense Forces]] gunfire; born in the town.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4883442.stm Film-maker 'murdered' by soldier] BBC News article on inquest verdict</ref>
* [[William Owen (architect and surveyor)|William Owen]] (1791–1879), local architect, Mayor of Haverfordwest on four occasions and High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire.
* [[Sir John Perrot]] (1528–1592), said to be an illegitimate son of [[Henry VIII]], was born in Haverfordwest.<ref>{{cite ODNB |last=Turvey |first=Roger |year=2004 |title=Perrot, Sir John (1528–1592) |id=21986}}</ref>
* [[Greg Pickersgill]] (born 1951), an influential [[science fiction fandom|science fiction fan]], was born in Haverfordwest and still lives there.
* The [[hardcore punk|hardcore punk rock]] band [[Picture Frame Seduction]] was formed in the [[Sir Thomas Picton School]] in 1978.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parry |first1=Nick |title=Punk band mark 30th anniversary |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7524961.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=13 January 2020 |date=5 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[Sir Thomas Picton]] (1758–1815), a British army general, was born in Haverfordwest and killed at the [[Battle of Waterloo]].<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Picton, Sir Thomas |volume= 21 | pages = 581-582 |short=1}}</ref>
* [[Juliette Pochin]] (born 1971), a Welsh classically trained mezzo-soprano singer, born in Haverfordwest
* [[Gruff Rhys]] (born 1970), singer of [[indie rock]] band [[Super Furry Animals]], was born here.
* [[John Lort Stokes]] (1811–1885), an officer in the [[Royal Navy]] who travelled on [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]; born at nearby Scotchwell.<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Stokes, John Lort |volume= 54 |last= Laughton |first= John Knox  |author-link= John Knox Laughton |pages = 400-401 |short=1}}</ref>
* Graham McPherson (born 1961), aka [[Graham McPherson|Suggs]], lead singer of [[Madness (band)|Madness]], attended Haverfordwest Grammar School for Boys in the early 1970s.
* [[George Trefgarne, 1st Baron Trefgarne]] (1894–1960), politician, barrister, businessman and editor of the ''Daily Dispatch;'' born in the town.<ref>{{Hansard-contribs | mr-george-garro-jones | George Garro-Jones (Trefgarne) }}</ref>
* [[Lucy Walter]] (ca.1630 – 1658), a mistress of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], was born at [[Roch Castle]] near Haverfordwest.<ref>{{cite DNB |wstitle= Walter, Lucy |volume= 59 |last= Seccombe |first= Thomas   |author-link= Thomas Seccombe |pages = 259-260 |short=1}}</ref>
* [[Waldo Williams]] (1904–1971), Welsh-language poet and pacifist, was born in Haverfordwest.
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
=== Sport ===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
*[[Henry Baird (cricketer)|Henry Baird]] (1878–1950), cricketer and Army officer; recipient of the [[Distinguished Service Order]] for actions in the [[Second Boer War]].
* [[Simon Davies (footballer, born 1979)|Simon Davies]] (born 1979), a footballer who played for [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] and with 58 caps for [[Wales national football team|Wales]], was born in Haverfordwest.
* [[Dominic Day]] (born 1985), a Welsh rugby union player with 28 international caps
* [[Mark Delaney (footballer)|Mark Delaney]] (born 1976), a retired footballer who played for [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]], [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] and 36 times for [[Wales national football team|Wales]], was born in Haverfordwest.
* [[Simon Halliday]] (born 1960), an England rugby union international with 23 caps, was born in Haverfordwest.
* [[Angharad James (footballer)|Angharad James]] (born 1994), a footballer with 102 caps for [[Wales national football team|Wales]]
* [[Ben Llewellin]] (born 1994), a Welsh sports shooter, silver medallist at the [[2018 Commonwealth Games]].
* [[Peter Morgan (rugby union)|Peter Morgan]] (born 1959), a councillor, mayor and rugby player (Llanelli, Wales and British Lions) born locally and went to school in Haverfordwest.

==Freedom of the Town==
People and military units that have honoured with the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Town]] of Haverfordwest include:

===Individuals===
* [[Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice Admiral]] [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson]]: 1802<ref name="Wales Online 13 March 2013">{{cite news |title=Town finds lost Nelson scroll - in its safe |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/town-finds-lost-nelson-scroll-2435735 |access-date=28 March 2020 |work=[[Wales Online]] |date=31 March 2013}}</ref><ref name="BBC News 22 June 2010">{{cite news |title=House where Nelson given Haverfordwest honour for sale |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10376442 |access-date=28 March 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=22 June 2010}}</ref>
* [[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] [[Thomas Foley (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Thomas Foley]]: 1802<ref name="Wales Online 13 March 2013"/><ref name="BBC News 22 June 2010"/>

===Military units===
* [[RNAS Brawdy (HMS Goldcrest)|HMS ''Goldcrest'']]: 1964<ref name="Western Telegraph 4 March 2009">{{cite news |url=http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/4173908.Soldiers_given_freedom_of_Haverfordwest/ |title=Soldiers given freedom of Haverfordwest |work=Western Telegraph |access-date=4 March 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Conferment of Freedom of the Borough of Haverfordwest on HMS Goldcrest (RNAS, Brawdy) |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/record?catid=6077485&catln=6 |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |access-date=27 November 2023}}</ref>
* [[14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)|14 Signal Regiment]]: 4 March 2009<ref name="Western Telegraph 4 March 2009"/>

== See also ==

* [[Haverfordwest power station]]

==Bibliography==
* Humphrey Holdfast, ''Haverfordwest And Its Story'', Llewellyn Brigstocke, Publisher, 7 Market Street, Haverfordwest, 1882 (published by subscription).
* Dillwyn Miles (ed) ''A History of Haverfordwest'', Gomer, 1999, {{ISBN|1-85902-738-5}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Haverfordwest |volume= 13 | pages = 80-81 |short=1}}
* [http://www.haverfordwest-town-museum.org.uk/ Haverfordwest Town Museum]
* [http://www.haverfordwestcivicsociety.org.uk/index.html Haverfordwest Civic Society]
* [https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/Haverfordwest Further historical information and links on GENUKI]

{{Communities of Pembrokeshire}}

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[[Category:Haverfordwest| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Pembrokeshire]]
[[Category:Communities in Pembrokeshire]]
[[Category:Market towns in Wales]]
[[Category:County towns in Wales]]