News

Historic hotel ready to welcome new owner

Published

8 years ago

April 10, 2018

ALTHOUGH reputed to have a history going back as far as 1625, Hotel Mariners in Haverfordwest has been more reliably dated to 1729 – heyday of the Georgian coaching Inn.

Whatever its true age, this comfortable, well-appointed Grade II listed property in the town centre has remained the principal hotel in Haverfordwest and is now on the market with Colliers International with offers invited in the region of £1 million.

Peter Brunt, a director in Colliers International’s Hotels Agency team, said Hotel Mariners had been in the same family for three generations, but younger members of the family are looking to other careers so the hotel is on the market for the first time since 1981.

“This gives potential operators an opportunity to purchase a fully functioning business in this key regional town,” he said.

“Hotel Mariners is a real all-rounder, serving both locals and visitors and is frequently used for weddings and other functions.”

“Haverfordwest is at the hub of a lovely corner of Pembrokeshire and provides a great base for prospective owners. In addition to being a great place to live and work, the accounts for year ending October 2017 show net sales of £707,382 which resulted in a tidy profit.”

The landmark hotel has 27 letting bedrooms and, crucially for this part of Pembrokeshire, a large car park, although it also benefits from being within walking distance of local shops, supermarkets and leisure facilities.

The main hotel was constructed in the 18th century with alterations in the 20th Century – more recently the lounge bar has been fully refurbished and caters for around 45 people. The restaurant is arranged over two floors with 64 covers. In addition, there is a first floor, theatre-style conference room.

Peter Brunt said: “The former meeting room is presently used as a ladies clothing shop – on sale, a six month lease will be granted to allow this use to continue until an alternative venue is found.

“Next door to the hotel is a three-bedroom house with a common boundary, which is available by separate negotiation. This property is not currently used as part of the business but could be used as an owners’ home or for staff accommodation.”

He added: “Haverfordwest is the ancient county town of Pembrokeshire and acts as a hub for people to explore the surrounding region, with good connections to Fishguard, Cardigan, Milford Haven, Narberth, Carmarthen and Tenby.”

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

48 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.