New Quay Lifeboat Station

New Quay Lifeboat Station
New Quay Lifeboat Station
Gorsaf Bad Achub Cei Newydd
	New Quay Lifeboat Station, Ceredigion
	Location within Ceredigion
Former names	Newquay Lifeboat Station
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Glanmor Terrace, New Quay, Ceredigion, Wales, SA45 9PS, UK
Coordinates	52°12′49″N 4°21′27″W / 52.2135°N 4.3576°W
Opened	1864
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
	New Quay RNLI Lifeboat Station

New Quay Lifeboat Station (Welsh: Gorsaf Bad Achub Cei Newydd) is located off Glanmor Terrace in New Quay, a seaside town approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Aberystwyth, overlooking Cardigan Bay, on the west coast of Ceredigion, West Wales.

A lifeboat was first placed at New Quay by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1864, and celebrated 150 years of service in 2014.^[1]

The station operates two lifeboats: a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, 13-48 Roy Barker V (ON 1355), on station since 2023, and a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat, Will Morgan (D-886), on station since 2024.^[2]

There is often confusion between the two lifeboat stations of New Quay in Wales, and Newquay in Cornwall. Despite clarity of the names on all maps of the period, this is not helped by RNLI documentation up to the Annual Report of 1902 often having the names reversed.^[3]^[4]

History

19th century

Numerous wrecks occurred along the coast at New Quay in Wales. In the great storm of 25–26 October 1859, six ships were wrecked at New Quay.^[5]

Communication from the Commodore Controller-General of HM Coastguard was received and read at the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 2 June 1864. He had forwarded a report from the Inspecting Commander of Coastguard, who highlighted the necessity for a lifeboat at Newquay in Cardiganshire, with the establishment of a station being agreed.^[6]

By 1 January 1865, an article in the RNLI journal The Life-boat reported the arrival of a lifeboat, and the construction of a boathouse at New Quay. A 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m) Peake-class self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London in 1857, was transferred from its old station at Holyhead. Before its arrival, it was sent to the Woolfe boatyard in Shadwell, London, and extended to 35 ft (11 m), rowing 12 oars. Costing £161 when new, the boat had been funded by the Ancient Order of Foresters, and was named Forester.^[7]^[8]

The boat was transported by the London and North Western and the Cambrian railway companies to Aberystwyth, from where it was rowed to its station at New Quay. A boathouse with a powerful winch was constructed at the top of a long incline from the harbour, at the bottom of St John's street, at a cost of £129-15s.^[7]^[9]

In 1872, additional funding was appropriated to the station by 'an anonymous lady', with the lifeboat being renamed Nelson. The lifeboat served New Quay for 22 years until 1886, launching 10 times, and saving 5 lives.^[10]

E. M. Lewis was Coxswain in 1880 when a lifeboatman was put aboard the barque Pacific to pilot her out of danger during a gale; the lifeboatmen successfully claimed salvage of £325 but then refused to pay the customary charge for the use of the lifeboat, resulting in Lewis's dismissal. He was succeeded by Owen Evans.^[11]

New Quay's new lifeboat was Frank and Marion (ON 62), built by Forrest & Son of Limehouse, London, costing £374, a gift from Dr and Mrs Smart of Kent in 1886. The day of the naming ceremony was declared a public holiday. Frank and Marion was built along the same lines as Nelson but with improved ballast tanks and rowing conformation to provide greater power for less effort. She effected several rescues before Coxswain Evans retired in 1905 after serving for 25 years. He was succeeded by David Davies. The lifeboat was launched a recorded seven times during her service, saving 19 lives.^[12]^[13]

20th century

A new boathouse and slipway were built to the south of the original in 1903–4 at a cost of £1,312; the original boathouse was passed on to the Harbour Commission. The 1904 boathouse, when superseded in 1992, was renamed Cnwc-y-Glap and was still in use in 2014.^[14]

From 1907 the station used the pulling and sailing lifeboat, William Cantrell Ashley (ON 578), the longest-serving lifeboat at the station. The lifeboat was funded by the legacy of Charles Carr Ashley, which provided for five lifeboats and included funds for maintenance and for the benefit of crew members' widows and their families in the event of loss of life. The lifeboat was transported from London by rail to Fishguard and sailed to New Quay by the same 15 crew that had delivered Frank and Marion to Fishguard at the end of her service.^[15]

In August 1917, after going out to two boys fishing in a small boat in deteriorating weather, the lifeboat diverted to rescue two fishermen whose boat was foundering; all four were saved. For 17 years in the 1920s and 1930s the coxswain was Frederick Shayler.^[16] In November 1920 the lifeboat was called to HMS Amethyst, being towed to the breaker's at Milford Haven. In a gale and heavy seas the tow had parted and the lifeboat, dwarfed by the 3,000 ton cruiser, took off seven of the eight crew, with the captain refusing to leave (he was rescued two days later by Aberystwyth lifeboat).^[17]

In February 1946 William Cantrell Ashley was at sea for more than 24 hours in severe weather standing by the broken-down submarine HMS Universal and helping to rescue her crew.^[18] William Cantrell Ashley was the RNLI's last pulling and sailing lifeboat when she was retired in 1948 after 41 years' service. She was passed on to the first Outward Bound school at Aberdovey.^[19]^[20]

In the same year the RNLI adapted the station for a new lifeboat and built a tractor house.^[21]

The first powered lifeboat at New Quay was the Liverpool-class St Albans (ON 863)^[16] which served from 1948 to 1970.

An Inshore lifeboat and boathouse was added in 1967. In 1970 an Oakley-class lifeboat, Bird's Eye (ON 996), was donated to the station by Bird's Eye Foods Ltd. In 1992 another new boathouse was constructed to house both lifeboats.^[21] On her retirement, Bird's Eye went on display at the Seawatch Centre, Moelfre,^[22] and New Quay took delivery of a Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat.

In 1994 Winston Evans retired as coxswain after 29 years; he had been Britain's youngest coxswain aged 26 in 1965, taking over the helm from Rhoslan Davies. Winston's father, Arden Evans, had also been coxswain and between them they served for 40 years. In 1966 Winston received the RNLI Bronze Medal for a rescue in Cardigan Bay and was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1985. His successor was Daniel Potter,^[23] a great nephew of Frederick Shayler. Winston Evans recalled that in his time most crew members were fishermen, but in later years came from many different walks of life.^[16]

21st century

Audrey Lawson-Johnston, a survivor of the RMS Lusitania sinking in 1915, gifted a new D-class lifeboat in 2004, named Amy Lea after her mother. Mrs Lawson-Johnston died in 2011 and when a new D-class came on station in 2012, it was named Audrey LJ in her memory.^[21]

The station celebrated 150 years of service in 2014 and local MP Mark Williams posted an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons in June to mark the occasion.^[24] In the same month the two lifeboats were re-dedicated in a ceremony which included a fly-past and a slate plaque being presented to the station by local fundraisers Quay West Ladies.

Visitor access

This station is classed as an "Explore" lifeboat station by the RNLI, their highest level of visitor experience.

Awards

The following are awards made at New Quay:^[20]^[25]

RNLI Bronze Medal

David Winston Evans, Coxswain – 1966

Evan Fowler, Motor Mechanic – 1966

David Rees, Police Sergeant – 1966

Mervyn Lloyd Thomas, Helm – 1974

'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum'
Idris Evans, Helm – 1967

Trevor Evans, crew Member – 1967

Peter Evans, crew Member – 1967

Richard Llewellyn Davies, crew Member – 1974

David Richard Phillips, crew Member – 1974

Mervyn Lloyd Thomas, Helm – 1976

'Letter of Thanks from the Chairman of the Institution'
Daniel Potter, Coxswain – 2023

Bernie Davies, Mechanic – 2023

Simon Rigby, Navigator – 2023

Rees-Tom Jones, crew Member – 2023

Dylan Price, crew Member – 2023

Huw Williams, crew Member – 2023

Exceptional First Aid Certificate
Gary Hartley, crew member – 2011

British Empire Medal
David Winston Evans, Coxswain – 1986NYH^[26]