02/05/2025
Joining us for Cwtchella 2025? Learn more about this incredible location โ๏ธ
History of Pembrey Country Park
Pembrey Country Park wasnโt always the magnificent parkland that you see today, previously it was the site of Pembrey Royal ordnance factory. The isolated sand dunes of Pembrey Burrows provided the ideal conditions for the dangerous occupation of the manufacture of explosives! The sand dunes not only provided an effective screen but also minimized any possible damage in the event of an explosion. It is hardly surprising therefore, that the area attracted the producer of gun powder and dynamite as early as 1881.
Pembrey was in fact one of over 200 factories producing munitions that sprang up during the First World War. In common with most, it was run down rapidly as soon as the war ended, eventually closing in the 1920s. During the 1930s the Central Administration building was used as a convalescent home and rehabilitation centre for the children of unemployed miners to produce โcarbon blackโ which is used in the manufacture of printers ink.
As the Second World War approached the factory was re-opened and largely rebuilt under the name of the 'Royal Ordnance Factory. The factory buildings were carefully laid out over some 200 hectares of sand dunes with the central office, police barracks, canteen, surgery, library and administrative buildings being grouped together near the entrance of the factory. The nitration buildings, magazines and other danger spots were scattered among sand dunes a safe distance away. Only a few of these structures now remain. The siteโs coastal location meant that there was an economical building material readily available in the form of sand.
To find out more, visit โHistory of Pembrey Country Park' page on our website where you can download leaflets and listen to how the Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters of Pembrey & Burry Port began โSave Our Sandsโ campaign. You can also download the Augmented Reality History Trail app on Android or I phone to learn about the history of the park which starts just outside the Visitor Centre
๐ป https://orlo.uk/58O7j
๐ Join us on Sunday 4th and Monday 5th between 11am โ 4pm at the WWI & WWII Weekend with authentic wartime re-enactments, historical displays & stories from the parkโs past and lots more...
