Tenby Lifeboat Station

Tenby Lifeboat Station
Tenby's 2005 Lifeboat Station
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	Castle Square
Town or city	Tenby, Pembrokeshire, SA70 7BS
Country	Wales
Coordinates	51°40′23″N 4°41′38″W
Opened	1854
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution On land leased from the Crown Estate
Website
Tenby Lifeboat Station

Tenby Lifeboat Station is a lifeboat station in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales that has been situated to the east of the town since 1852, three generations having been built; the original and updates in 1905 and 2005. The station currently houses two lifeboats.^[1]

The Tamar-class lifeboat is 16-02 Haydn Miller (ON 1282), named after the farmer who left £3M to the RNLI in his will. The D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat is called Kathleen Ann (D-858).

History

The rebuilt 1894 Victorian lifeboat station in Tenby harbour

The old 1905 lifeboat station in 2010 after being converted to a residential dwelling

Tenby harbour in November 2004 at low-tide with the 1905 lifeboat station and the 2005 lifeboat station still under construction

The station was established in 1852, by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society. The Society still exists, but its Tenby lifeboat activity was taken over in 1854 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the first RNLI boathouse was built on the town's castle beach in 1862. Six RNLI silver medals were awarded for coastal rescues from the station in the 19th century.^[2]

A difficulty with launching from the harbour site was the shallow angle of the underlying geological strata. The sand beaches at Tenby were a hazard due to the speed of the tide, and an obstacle to overcome while dragging a 2-ton lifeboat from the harbour. When in 1905 the boat was replaced with a larger and heavier one, a new boathouse and roller slipway were built on the north side of Castle Hill. It was constructed using the new screw-piles that had been created for the foundations in deep sand of Victorian era pleasure piers. The lifeboat was then usable in all weathers and states of tide. It later became a public access way, with the ferry boat to Caldey Island using the slipway as a disembarkation point for tourists. Due to the legal status of foreshore in the UK, the ground on which these lifeboat stations are built has been leased from the Crown Estate.^[3]

In 1923, the first motor-powered lifeboat came on station. The lifeboat operated throughout World War II, in part due to the three squadrons of Royal Air Force Short Sunderland flying boats operating from Milford Haven. In 1952 the station was awarded an RNLI Vellum for 100 years of service.

1972-onwards: dual-boat station

From 1972, the station became a dual-boat station with an inshore D-class (EA16) lifeboat stationed within the harbour. In 1976, a new ILB boathouse was built on the north side of the harbour to house the boat and a tractor. On 6 September 1986, the Tyne-class lifeboat RFA Sir Galahad came on station. Named after the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Round Table-class landing ship logistics which was sunk subsequent to being damaged during the Falklands War, it became the last boat to use the original boathouse. By the time the station was awarded its 150 years Vellum by the RNLI in 2002, another new lifeboat house was planned.

Having obtained an extended lease from the Crown Estate, the RNLI obtained planning permission from the council to build a new lifeboat station on the site of the demolished Victorian era pleasure pier.^[4] Due to access restrictions via the North Castle cliff, the £5.5million lifeboat station was built from the sea.^[4] Only a supply of concrete was approved to be transported by road through the town.^[4] Construction, commissioning works and acceptance were completed in March 2005.^[5]

Tenby received the first of the new Tamar-class lifeboats, the Haydn Miller, which came on station for training in March 2006.^[6] While the crew were still under training, the boat had a successful callout in April 2006. .^[7]

After being refused planning permission to demolish the old Grade II listed lifeboat station,^[3] which had been extended twice to accommodate larger lifeboats,^[5] the RNLI eventually sold it into private hands. The new owner agreed the purchase of the freehold from the Crown Estate, and converted it into a four bedroom property.^[3][8] Development of the property was covered by Channel 4 for an episode of Grand Designs, and finished in 2011.^[9][10]

In early 2022, the RNLI received planning permission for the 1905 Grade II Listed former RNLI All-Weather Lifeboat House on Castle Beach, to be converted into a new home for the Tenby Inshore Lifeboat, with crew facilities.^[11]

The building was reopened on the 8 October 2022, at the same time as the naming ceremony of the new D-class (IB1) Inshore Lifeboat Kathleen Ann (D-858)^[12]

Visitor access

This station is classed as an "Explore" lifeboat station by the RNLI, aiming to offer their best visitor experience. When the boats are not on call, the station offers free access in the summer months, and pre-booked tours in the winter. Visitors can go inside and look around, see the lifeboat and visit the RNLI gift shop.

Tenby lifeboats

All-Weather lifeboats

ON[a]	Op. No.[b]	Name	In service[13]	Class	Comments
57	–	Anne Collin	1885–1902	34-foot 2in Self-Righting (P&S)
497	–	William and Mary Devey	1902–1923	36-foot Watson (P&S)
684	–	John R Webb[14]	1923–1930	45ft Watson
729	–	John R Webb	1930–1955	45ft 6in Watson
925	–	Henry Comber Brown	1955–1986	46ft 9in Watson
1112	47-010	RFA Sir Galahad	1986–2006	Tyne
1281	16-02	Haydn Miller	2006–	Tamar

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service[13]	Class	Comments
D-204	Unnamed	1972–1986	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-315	Charlie B	1986–1993	D-class (EA16)
D-438	Arthur and Georgina Stanley Taylor	1993–2001	D-class (EA16)
D-562	Georgina Stanley Taylor	2001–2009	D-class (EA16)
D-727	Georgina Taylor	2009–2022	D-class (IB1)	(the 3rd ILB donated by the legacy).[15]
D-858	Kathleen Ann	2022–	D-class (IB1)

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Awards

Since it was established in 1852, the station and its lifeboat crews have gained the following RNLI awards:^[16][17]

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution - 3
• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum - 9
• RNLI Bronze Medal

Motor Mechanic Alfred Cottam - 15 January 1938.

Bowman William Thomas - 22 September 1953

Motor Mechanic William Rogers - 22 September 1953

Bowman Joshua Richards - 27 August 1966

Coxswain Joshua Richards (Second-Service Clasp) - 7 October 1981

• RNLI Silver Medal

Boatman John Ray - 22 October 1834

Lt. Richard Jesse, RN, H.M. Coastguard - 20 December 1855.

Chief Boatman Robert Parrott, H.M. Coastguard - 6 March 1856

The Hon Lt. Robert Francis Boyle, RN, H.M. Coastguard - 7 November 1859.

Coxswain Robert Parrott (Second-Service Clasp) - 7 November 1859

Coxswain Thomas Monger - 2 December 1875

Acting Coxswain John Rees - 15 January 1938.

Coxswain Thomas Richards - 22 September 1953

Crew member Michael Wilson - 27 August 1966

Coxswain William Alan Thomas - 22 September 1989.

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Charles Crockford - 2002^[18]

William Alan Thomas - 2004^[19]

Doreen Lilian Mortimer, Volunteer Shop Manager - 2024^[20]

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. Tenby History Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
2. "History". Tenby RNLI. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
3. "Boat station demolition refused". BBC Wales. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
4. "Lifeboat station will be replaced". BBC Wales. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
5. "New £5.5m home for Tenby lifeboat". BBC Wales. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
6. "Lifeboat first for Tenby station". BBC Wales. 2 March 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
7. "Lifeboat completes first rescue". BBC Wales. 18 April 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
8. "Tenby lifeboat station redevelopment plans approved". Western Telegraph. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
9. Rachael Misstear (6 August 2011). "Grand Designs for Tenby's old lifeboat house damages historic Castle Hill wall". Wales Online. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
10. "Couple's grand designs rescues Tenby's historic lifeboat station". Wales Online. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
11. "Historic lifeboat station to be revamped into new home for Tenby's inshore RNLI". RNLI. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
12. "New Tenby RNLI inshore craft named and lifeboat station opened". Western Telegraph. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
13. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
14. "Bon voyage for old Tenby lifeboat". BBC Wales. 19 February 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
15. "Tenby lifeboat named after donor". BBC Wales. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
16. "Tenby's Station history". RNLI. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
17. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0-907605-89-3.
18. "Honours for Wales". BBC. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
19. "Tenby lifeboat coxswain retires after 44 years". Western Telegraph. 30 January 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
20. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 1 May 2024.

Further reading

• Avis Nixon. A Tenby Lifeboat Family. Tenby Publishers. ISBN 095335122X.

External links

• The official website of Tenby lifeboat
• Tenby Lifeboat Station