STAR Wars Fans, Plan a Weekend Trip to Wales – You won’t Believe What You’ll Find There!
STAR Wars fans in the UK should start planning a weekend away in Wales, with a dockyard hosting a secret attraction to one of the films’ most important props set to reopen later this month.
The Birth of the Millennium Falcon in Pembroke Dock
In the wake of the original Star Wars film, director George Lucas used an historic maritime complex at Pembroke Dock to create something special for its next instalment, The Empire Strikes Back.
The Mysterious Giant Object
So, the last ship to leave the complex wasn’t one that ever set sail in the sea – it was the film franchise’s iconic starship, the Millennium Falcon. The secluded location was chosen to ensure of the project remained a secret although it did lead to rumours among the locals that a ‘UFO’ was being built right under their noses.
The Legacy Lives On
Now, decades later, the story of the Millennium Falcon is told in a permanent exhibit, which launched at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre in 2022, using film, photos and first hand accounts. The centre had been closed for the winter, but is now due to reopen later this month, with the exhibit there for sci-fi fans to peruse.
A Significant Part of Film History
The exhibit was created by Star Wars expert and enthusiast Mark Williams, who couldn’t believe such an important part of the film was created in Pembroke. He told the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust: “With the recent resurgence of interest in the Star Wars franchise, a new generation of fans has been created and as these fans start to look deeper into the saga, older fans tell stories about the original trilogy.”
The Unfortunate Fate of the Millennium Falcon
Sadly for fans, the ship itself isn’t there with Atlas Obscura explaining the sad demise of the spacecraft after work had been finished on the movies. They wrote: “A permanent exhibition at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre tells the surprising story of how the fabled spaceship came to be built in Wales, with images, films, and first-person accounts of the project, which was codenamed ‘Magic Roundabout’.
More Star Wars Locations in the UK
Pembroke isn’t the only place where Star Wars fans can go to see a piece of the film’s history. Other locations in the UK where Star Wars featured include RAF Greenham Common in Berks, Whippendell Wood in Watford, Derwentwater in Cumbria, and Barbican in London.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, make sure to visit Pembroke Dock and these other locations to get a taste of the iconic film series right here in the UK.