PEMBROKE Dock Heritage Centre is launching a major new exhibition, ‘HMS Erebus: From Dockyard to Discovery’, to open to the public on June 8, 2026.

The ill-fated Franklin expedition saw HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set off to the Arctic in 1845 in search of the Northwest passage, but neither ship returned. All 129 crew members were lost amid tales of desperation and cannibalism.

Discovery of Erebus’ wreck below the icy waters of the Canadian Arctic in 2014 reignited worldwide interest in the mysterious polar exploration, but what’s less well-known is that HMS Erebus was built and launched here in Pembrokeshire, at the Royal Dockyard at Pembroke Dock on June 7, 1826.

Originally a bomb ship, Erebus was a fine example of 19th-century Welsh maritime craftsmanship. In her early years at sea, the power of this small ship singled her out as perfect for polar exploration and, after a refit, she took part in some of the most important explorations of the age, including the Ross Antarctic Expedition.

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of her launch and Pembroke Dock’s role in this part of world history, and thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, the Centre has secured the loan of rare artefacts recovered from Erebus’ wreck never before displayed to the British public (courtesy of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth). These items offer tangible and touching connections to life on board and the extraordinary challenges of 19th-century polar exploration.

Visitors will be invited to step inside a recreation of a ship’s cabin to view the artefacts, and admire a “holographic” image created from detailed and accurate 3D scans of the ship’s bell (produced by the Coastal and Inland Waters Heritage Science Facility, University of Southampton).

A digital interactive touchscreen display will let visitors explore route maps, the mysteries of the disappearance and the grim fate of the crew, as well as the clever adaptations that equipped the ship for polar exploration, and the role that local Inuit played in locating the wreck over a century later. Undersea video footage (courtesy of Parks Canada) will show divers exploring the wreck site.

An immersive Arctic diorama with scale model will show Erebus trapped in the ice. Displays will explain how a ship built in a small Welsh town contributed to major advances in global scientific knowledge.

There will be quizzes and activities for children to engage them with the displays. School visits will be encouraged. All text will be in Welsh and English.

“HMS Erebus: From Dockyard to Discovery” will be open to the public from Monday, June 8, 2026, until the end of October 2026. The museum is open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.

Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre is housed in the Royal Dockyard Chapel, Meyrick Owen Way, Pembroke Dock SA72 6WS and prices have been kept the same as last year so that as many people as possible can afford to come in and celebrate local history and proud heritage. For more details, visit https://pdht.org/ .

UPDATE: A new development on the HMS Erebus story which makes this local story an international one:

Research published in the last 48 hours shows DNA has identified the remains of four crew members from John Franklin's ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition, including Erebus cabin boy David Young - the article even includes a facial reconstruction of a portrait of David. Rich Preston, BBC presenter, has just discovered through this research that he is a descendant of another Erebus crew member (Sub Officer's Steward, John Bridgens).