By the late 18th century the two local creeks were being used to load and unload goods,[10] and surrounding settlements were established, including the medieval chapel, and Summer Hill Farm, the only man-made structures on the future site of Milford.

Charles Francis Greville, invited seven Quaker families from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard to settle in the new town and develop a whaling fleet.

[16] The town was built on a grid pattern, thought to have been to the design of Jean-Louis Barrallier, who remained in charge of shipbuilding there for the Navy Board.

[17][18] Between 1801 and 1803, the town and waterway were protected by temporary batteries at Hakin Point and south of St Katherine's Church, in response to the perceived threat following the Fishguard Invasion.

[21] On 11 October 1809, a naval commission recommended purchase of the Milford Haven facility and formal establishment of a Royal Navy dockyard.

[23] By 1849, the district of Hakin was described as a considerable centre of boat building,[24] and by 1906, Milford had become the sixth largest fishing port in the UK, and its population rose.

[11] In the late 1850s, work began on a network of forts on both sides of the Milford Haven estuary, as a direct result of the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom.

[30] Despite its strategic importance as the home of a large fish market, a mines depot, a flax factory, and housing numerous military personnel, Milford escaped serious damage by German bombing in the Second World War.

[61] Over-fishing coupled with national economic factors contributed to a significant decline in the fishing industry, resulting in smaller catches and fewer trawlers.

[11] Into the new millennium, its fortunes have risen, as can be witnessed in the activity surrounding the LNG terminal, and the new building works which accompanied it and its connection to the controversial South Wales Gas Pipeline.

[62] In February 2003, Pembrokeshire Council granted outline planning permission to Petroplus for an LNG storage depot at Waterston, and in March 2004, an additional site was approved at South Hook for ExxonMobil.

[67][68] In 2014, plans by Milford Haven Port Authority were unveiled, which propose a transformation of the docks area into a residential and commercial destination, including hotel accommodation.

[71][72] In November 2014 it was announced that Milford Haven Refinery, a major employer in the area, would be converted into a 'storage and distribution facility' with a loss of over 300 jobs.

[73] Source: Bluestone Wales,[74] Milford Fish Docks,[75] National Statistics Sea Fisheries Annual Reports[76] and McKay.

A 1964 study commissioned by the district council highlighted the lack of nearby beaches, proximity of the town to heavy industrialization, and a shortage of tourist facilities such as restaurants and hotels.

"[87] The nature of large construction projects meant that workers were attracted from outside the local area, and the decline of the fishing industry was to a certain extent masked.

[93] Although it is the most westerly point of the country and the part of the county furthest from the English border, a relatively small proportion of the community knows the Welsh language.

[11] Three-storey Georgian domestic and commercial properties are set along the northern side of the main road through the town, and overlook the harbour and waterway.

[100][101][102] The attractions in the town include Fort Hubberstone, built in 1863 to defend the Haven as part of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom.

[120] Drayton described the area in his Poly-Olbion as "So highly Milford is in every mouth renowned / Noe haven hath aught good, in her that is not found".

Milford Haven Leisure Centre offers various facilities, including a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, a bowls hall and a dance studio.

[146] Other famous residents connected as seafarers include Isaac Davis, a former seaman who was engaged in the fur trade between the Pacific Northwest and China.

[151][152] Performing artists from Milford Haven include Helen Watts, a contralto who studied at the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded the CBE in 1978,[153] and singer-songwriter Sarah Howells, founder member of the pop band Paper Aeroplanes.

[155] Television producer Annabel Jones was born and raised in Milford Haven, known for her work on the science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.

[156] Actor Edward Palmer was born in Milford in 1910, later achieving television and film success in Witchfinder General, The Small Voice, Coronation Street and Upstairs, Downstairs.

[160] Microbiologist Professor Sir Stewart Cole grew up in Milford Haven and later became the first foreign scientist to lead the world-renowned Institut Pasteur, in Paris, France.

[163] Tailor and fashion designer Timothy Everest began his professional career working as a sales assistant at a branch of Hepworths in the town.

[164] Sporting figures include Robert Hughes, who in 2005 won the Wales National Darts Championship,[165] and Andrew Salter, a batsman for Cardiff MCC University.

[172] Milford Haven is also connected to notable military figures, such as Charles George Gordon, a British Army officer and administrator, remembered for his campaigns in China and northern Africa.

"Gugs" Gwilliam was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for acts of bravery whilst serving on board HMS Exeter in the Battle of the River Plate.