Reposted from Pembrokeshire Hearold

Volunteers at Haverfordwest Museum are in a race against time to remove and store valuable artifacts after thoughtless thieves stripped the lead from its building, leaving rain pouring into the 238-year-old structure. The incident occurred last Wednesday (Nov 8), and it became apparent the following day that something was wrong when rain started dripping through the ceilings. Staff scrambled to move exhibits to the drier ground floor. The historical building, located in Haverfordwest Castle grounds, was built in the 1780s as a prison governor’s residence and is an important part of
Pembrokeshire’s history. Archaeologists working within the castle grounds discovered a large amount of lead hidden under tarpaulin. A good twelve wheelbarrows full, The Herald was told. It appears the thieves found more lead than expected and were unable to transport all of it in the vehicle they had. They may have planned to return for the rest but never did. Water is still leaking through the upstairs ceilings, and one volunteer, Mrs. Evans, believes that the plastic sheeting put on the roof by the county council to keep the rain out was not effective. Museum curator Simon Hancock told The Herald, “There is shocking damage. We are having to empty the upper floors and place the items in storage.” The Herald has learned that the police have been informed and will be reviewing CCTV footage soon. House-to-house inquiries have already been conducted, it was confirmed. During our reporter’s visit to the museum, which was closed to the public before the incident due to archaeological work in the castle grounds, many exhibits had been moved downstairs. Buckets and sheeting were in place on the first floor to contain water. Some larger exhibits, including a butter churn, clocks, and other locally manufactured items, were still awaiting relocation. A significant number of important books also awaited movement. Three noteworthy items in the collection that have been moved to safety are ‘Haverfordwest Priory’ by Samuel Prout (c.1835) (a watercolor), ‘Haverfordwest Castle’ by William Pitt (1872), and the charter of freedom of the borough granted to Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1802. Haverfordwest Town Museum holds a diverse collection of archaeology, photographs, and paintings and is rich in social history artifacts. The Museum opened in 1996 as a registered charity, drawing the core of its collection from the former local authority museum that closed down in 1994. Several donations and gifts have augmented the collection, and grant aid has led to several significant acquisitions. The Museum reflects on the 900-year history of Haverfordwest. The collection also records the rich associational civic life (through uniforms and regalia), together with finds from the excavations at the local Augustinian priory.”

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