Lynmouth Lifeboat Station
Encyclopedia
Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution
(RNLI) search and rescue operations at Lynmouth, Devon
in England from 1869 until 1944. Its best known action was in 1899 when the lifeboat
was taken 15 miles (24.1 km) across Exmoor
before being launched to assist a ship in trouble.
. In the nineteenth century this was a busy waterway carrying ships to ports such as Cardiff
and Bristol
. A lifeboat station was established in the town on 20 January 1869, five months after the nearby wreck of the sailing vessel Home. The lifeboat was kept in a shed on the beach until a purpose-built boat house was built at the harbour. This was rebuilt in 1898 and enlarged in 1906-7.
The RNLI introduced motor lifeboats to the area in the 1930s. , the station to the west, received theirs in 1936 and , to the east, in 1939. These boats were able to serve the whole of the Exmoor coast and so Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was closed at the end of 1944. The boat house was then used as a club but was washed away in the Lynmouth flood
of 15 August 1952. It has since been rebuilt and includes a public shelter.
so that it could be launched there instead. This would entail a journey of 15 miles (24.1 km) and a climb of 1423 feet (433.7 m).
Louisa was 34 feet (10.4 m) long and weighed 10 tons on its carriage. Six men were sent ahead to widen some parts of the road that were too narrow while about 100 people, helped by a 18 horses from Lynton
, hauled the boat up the 1 in 4 (25%) Countisbury Hill. The carriage had to be repaired at one point when a wheel came off. At the top of the hill they took refreshments at the Blue Ball Inn then most of the people including the women and children turned back, leaving just 20 men to control the boat as it descended another 1 in 4 hill down into Porlock
. More horses were obtained to bring the team up to about 20 (although four died during the journey). At Porlock the road was too narrow because of a wall but the owner let the men take down the corner of the house so that they could pass. Lower down a road had been washed away by the sea so a detour was necessary. The lifeboat finally reached the sea at 06:30 on January 13.
The crew launched straight away. After their 11 hour journey across Exmoor, they now had to row for an hour into the storm to reach the Forrest Hall which was anchored close to Hurlstone Point. The lifeboat stood by – the crew rowing continuously to hold a safe position – until daylight when two tugs arrived and managed to get a new rope across. Some of the lifeboatmen went on board to help raise the anchors as the crew were too tired to do it themselves. The tugs took it across the channel to Barry
, accompanied by the Louisa and the Lynmouth lifeboat volunteers in case there were further problems. They finally arrived in port at about 05:00 on January 14. The lifeboat crew were towed back to Lynmouth by a steam ship.
The journey was re-enacted in daylight on 12 January 1999. The roads had been improved in the intervening hundred years, but the weather was similarly poor.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
(RNLI) search and rescue operations at Lynmouth, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in England from 1869 until 1944. Its best known action was in 1899 when the lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
was taken 15 miles (24.1 km) across Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
before being launched to assist a ship in trouble.
History
Lynmouth is on the north coast of Devon facing the Bristol ChannelBristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. In the nineteenth century this was a busy waterway carrying ships to ports such as Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. A lifeboat station was established in the town on 20 January 1869, five months after the nearby wreck of the sailing vessel Home. The lifeboat was kept in a shed on the beach until a purpose-built boat house was built at the harbour. This was rebuilt in 1898 and enlarged in 1906-7.
The RNLI introduced motor lifeboats to the area in the 1930s. , the station to the west, received theirs in 1936 and , to the east, in 1939. These boats were able to serve the whole of the Exmoor coast and so Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was closed at the end of 1944. The boat house was then used as a club but was washed away in the Lynmouth flood
Lynmouth Flood
On 15 and 16 August 1952, a storm of tropical intensity broke over south-west England, depositing of rain within 24 hours on an already waterlogged Exmoor. It is thought that a cold front scooped up a thunderstorm, and the orographic effect worsened the storm...
of 15 August 1952. It has since been rebuilt and includes a public shelter.
Launch from Porlock Weir
The Forrest Hall, a 1,900 ton three-masted ship with thirteen crew and five apprentices sailing down the channel from Bristol, got into trouble off several miles east of Lynmouth on the evening of 12 January 1899. A severe gale had been blowing all day. She was being towed but lost her rudder and the rope broke; it looked as though she might be blown onto the shore. At 19:52 a telegram reporting the problem was received at Lynmouth. The storm prevented a launch from the harbour so the Coxswain, Jack Crowcombe, proposed that the lifeboat be taken overland to Porlock WeirPorlock Weir
Porlock Weir lies about 1.5 miles west of Porlock, Somerset, England and is a small settlement which has grown up around the harbour. It is a popular visitor attraction....
so that it could be launched there instead. This would entail a journey of 15 miles (24.1 km) and a climb of 1423 feet (433.7 m).
Louisa was 34 feet (10.4 m) long and weighed 10 tons on its carriage. Six men were sent ahead to widen some parts of the road that were too narrow while about 100 people, helped by a 18 horses from Lynton
Lynton
Lynton is a small town in Devon, England. It lies on the northern edge of Exmoor and is located at the top of a gorge above Lynmouth, to which it is connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway...
, hauled the boat up the 1 in 4 (25%) Countisbury Hill. The carriage had to be repaired at one point when a wheel came off. At the top of the hill they took refreshments at the Blue Ball Inn then most of the people including the women and children turned back, leaving just 20 men to control the boat as it descended another 1 in 4 hill down into Porlock
Porlock
Porlock is a coastal village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in a deep hollow below Exmoor, west of Minehead. The parish, which includes Hawkcombe and Doverhay, has a population of 1,377....
. More horses were obtained to bring the team up to about 20 (although four died during the journey). At Porlock the road was too narrow because of a wall but the owner let the men take down the corner of the house so that they could pass. Lower down a road had been washed away by the sea so a detour was necessary. The lifeboat finally reached the sea at 06:30 on January 13.
The crew launched straight away. After their 11 hour journey across Exmoor, they now had to row for an hour into the storm to reach the Forrest Hall which was anchored close to Hurlstone Point. The lifeboat stood by – the crew rowing continuously to hold a safe position – until daylight when two tugs arrived and managed to get a new rope across. Some of the lifeboatmen went on board to help raise the anchors as the crew were too tired to do it themselves. The tugs took it across the channel to Barry
Barry, Wales
Barry is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than south-southwest of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park...
, accompanied by the Louisa and the Lynmouth lifeboat volunteers in case there were further problems. They finally arrived in port at about 05:00 on January 14. The lifeboat crew were towed back to Lynmouth by a steam ship.
The journey was re-enacted in daylight on 12 January 1999. The roads had been improved in the intervening hundred years, but the weather was similarly poor.
Lifeboats
'ON' is the RNLI's sequential Official Number. All boats were of the self righting type.| ON | Name | At Lynmouth | Length | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Henry | 1869–1887 | 30 feet (9.1 m) | |
| ? | Louisa | 1887–1906 | 34 feet (10.4 m) | |
| 558 | Pritchard Frederick Gainer | 1906–1944 | 35 feet (10.7 m) | Reported as cabin cruiser Lynmouth at Bedford Bedford Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town... in 2007. |