Swanage Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station
The station in 2019, with the Wellington clock tower in the background
Swanage Lifeboat Station is located in Dorset
Swanage Lifeboat Station
Location within Dorset
General information
TypeLifeboat station
LocationPeveril Point,, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2AY, England
Coordinates50°36′26″N 1°56′48″W / 50.607361°N 1.946611°W / 50.607361; -1.946611
Opened16 September 1875
Cost£525 (equivalent to £50,126 in 2023)
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Swanage RNLI Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station can be found on the north facing shore of Peveril Point, a headland on the Isle of Purbeck, to the south of Swanage, a seaside resort and town sitting mid-way between Weymouth and Bournemouth, on the Jurassic coast of the county of Dorset in southern England.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Swanage by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on 16 September 1875.[1]

The station underwent extensive re-development in 2015/16, with a new purpose-built boathouse opened in 2017, to accommodate its new Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat (ALB).[1]

13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320)

The station currently operates 13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320), a Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, on station since 2016, and Roy Norgrove (D-884), a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat (ILB), on station since 2023.[2]

History

On 23 January 1875, the brigantine Wild Wave of Exeter, carrying a cargo of coal bound for Poole, was wrecked at Peveril Point. Efforts to save the crew failed on the first day, but putting out the following day, the crew of four men and a boy were rescued. H.M. Coastguard Officer John Lose was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.[3][4]

Prompted by the wreck, an application for a local lifeboat was made to the RNLI by local residents. On 4 March 1875, at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management, following the visit and recommendation by the Inspector of Lifeboats, the establishment of a station at Swanage was agreed.[5]

A lifeboat house, with a stone slipway for launching the boat, was constructed on a suitable site granted by the Earl of Eldon, costing £526. A 35 ft (11 m) 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and (10) oars, was sent to the station in September 1875. The boat was presented to the Institution by S. J. Wilde on behalf of his aunt, the late Miss M. K. Wilde of London.[6]

A large crowd gathered on 16 September 1875 to witness the service of dedication and naming ceremony of the new lifeboat. After prayers by the Rev. B. D. Travers, the boat was named Charlotte Mary (ON 193), at the request of the benefactor, in memory of her two sisters. Joined by lifeboats from Poole and Kimmeridge, the new Swanage boat was launched, and its self-righting capabilities demonstrated to the assembled spectators.[7]

The lifeboat's first service was on 13 March 1876, saving one man from the ketch William Pitt of Poole, when it was driven ashore near Bournemouth.[1][8]

In 1890, the slipway was lengthened.[1]

On service to the barque Brilliant on 12 January 1895, Coxswain William Brown was washed overboard, along with another crew member. The crew man was recovered to the boat, but Coxswain Brown, aged 44, was drowned. The RNLI committee of management voted £275 to a local fund set up in aid of his wife and children, and also defrayed the cost of his funeral.[9]

Motor lifeboats

On 7 July 1928, a crowd of 6000 people gathered to witness the inauguration of the new 40 ft (12 m) lifeboat Thomas Markby (ON 706), the first motor-powered lifeboat to be stationed at Swanage. The lifeboat, costing £6,559, was built by S. E. Saunders of Cowes, funded from the legacy of the late Mrs Thomas Markby of London, and was named in memory of her late husband. A 40-hp Weyburn CE4 petrol engine gave the boat a range of 57 miles (92 km), and a top speed of 7.5 kn (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph).[10]

1992 renovation

The station in 2009

Work was carried out on the boathouse in 1992 to make room for the station's new Mersey-class lifeboat. This included an extension to the side of the boathouse and an increase in the roof's height. Work was also undertaken on the slipway.[1]

On 3 September 1992, the new lifeboat was named 12-23 Robert Charles Brown (ON 1182), in honour of Robert Charles Brown BEM, who was a lifeboatman at the station for over fifty years.[1]

Inshore lifeboats

On 3 April 1993 a D-class Inshore lifeboat (ILB) was sent to the station for evaluation, and a new slipway was built the following year to accommodate it. In 1995, the ILB was given permanent status, and a new Inshore lifeboat Phyl Clare 2 (D-475) was placed on service on 8 April.[1]

A shoreworks project including extra parking which cost £13,333 was completed in July 2002.[1]

On 27 August 2003, a new ILB, the Jack Cleare (D-613) was placed on service, with Phyl Clare 2 (D-475) being withdrawn.[11]

On 12 July 2012, the D-class (IB1) Phyl & Jack (D-752) was placed on service, with the Jack Cleare (D-613) being withdrawn. This lifeboat was funded in part by a gift and bequest from Mrs Phyl Cleare.[1]

In December 2023, Swanage Lifeboat station welcomed Roy Norgrove (D-884) as their new Inshore lifeboat, replacing Phyl & Jack which had been on service for 12 years.[12]

2016 rebuild

12-23 Robert Charles Brown (ON 1182) (1992–2016)

In November 2014, the RNLI's contractors (BAM Nuttall) arrived on site to start modifications of the boathouse.[1] The Mersey-class Robert Charles Brown had its final slipway launch on 1 February 2015.[13]

The Shannon-class lifeboat arrived on 8 April 2016, and was officially placed on service on 20 April. The Mersey-class Robert Charles Brown (ON 1182) left Swanage for the last time on 22 April, after more than 23 years of service. On 8 November, trials of the new Shannon class slipway began, and successfully completed, the boat moved into its boathouse on 14 December. On 13 February 2017, the Phyl & Jack (D-752) was moved into its new boathouse.[1]

On 29 April 2017, the new lifeboat station was officially opened, and the Shannon-class lifeboat 13-13 was formally named George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320). Having cost a total of £8 million, of which more than £465,000 was raised locally, the boathouse was opened to the public on 1 May. The station has the only slipway launched Shannon-class lifeboat in the RNLI fleet.[1][14]

Rescues and awards

Over the years, Swanage Lifeboat Station crew have been involved in many rescues. Ten medals for gallantry, five silver and five bronze have been awarded, the last in 1996.[1][15]

  • RNIPLS Silver Medal
    Lt. William Parsons, RN, Officer of the Coastguard – 1839
    Lt. George Davies, RN – 1839
    Edward Leggett, Gunner, RN – 1839
    Charles Stubbs, Seaman, RN – 1839
    (all of the Revenue Cutter Tartar)
  • RNLI Bronze Medal
    Robert Charles Brown, Assistant Motor Mechanic – 1934
    Ronald Hardy, Coxswain – 1970
    Ronald Hardy, Coxswain – 1977 (Second-Service clasp)
    Victor Albert Marsh, Second Coxswain/Mechanic – 1977
    Christopher Haw, Coxswain – 1996
  • The Maud Smith Award 1996
    for the most outstanding act of lifesaving during 1996
    Christopher Haw, Coxswain – 1996 (Swanage)
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
    Robert C. Brown, Coxswain – 1936
    The crew of the Swanage lifeboat – 1965
    D. Dyke, Second Coxswain – 1970
    P. Dorey, crew member – 1970
    Alec Edmonds, crew member – 1971
    Ronald Hardy, Coxswain – 1976
    Philip Dorey, Emergency Mechanic – 1976
    Dr William Tudor-Thomas, Honorary Medical Adviser – 1979
    John Corben, crew member – 1979
    Christopher Haw, crew member – 1979
    Philip Dorey, Acting Coxswain – 1981
    Victor Marsh, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1988
    Martin Steeden, Emergency Mechanic – 1988
    Christopher Haw, Coxswain – 1990
    Christopher Haw, Coxswain – 1993
  • Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on Vellum
    Dr D. I. Aitken – 1966
  • A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
    Victor Marsh, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1978
    George Bishop, Second Assistant Mechanic – 1978
    Thomas Haw, crew member – 1978
    Christopher Haw, Coxswain – 1994
    Terry Pond, crew member – 1994
  • A Collective Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
    Malcolm Turnbull, crew member – 1992
    Anthony Byron, crew member – 1992
    Christopher Coe, crew member – 1992

The following are for services to the motor launch Chasseur 5 of the French Naval Forces, December 1943:

  • Letter of Thanks from the Commander in Chief French Naval Forces in UK
    Swanage Lifeboat Station – 1944
  • French Government Medals
    Swanage Lifeboat Crew – 1946
  • French Lifeboat Society Medals
    Coxswain, Mechanic and Bowman – 1946

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving at Swanage:[1]

  • Lost when washed out of the lifeboat, on service to the barque Brilliant on 12 January 1895.
    William Brown, Coxswain (44)

Swanage lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats

On station[21] ON[a] Name Built Class Comments[21][22]
1875–1890 193 Charlotte Mary 1875 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
Sold in 1890.
1890–1893 296 William Erle 1890 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 2]
Transferred to the relief fleet. Later stationed at Burry Port.
1893–1914 358 William Erle 1893 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
Sold in 1914.
1914–1918 392 Zaida 1896 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 4]
Previously at Carrickfergus. Sold in 1918.
1918–1928 664 Herbert Sturmy 1918 37-foot 6in Self-righting (P&S) [Note 5]
Transferred to Falmouth.

Motor lifeboats

On station[23] ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name Built Class Comments[23]
1928–1949 706 — Thomas Markby 1928 40-foot Self-righting (motor) Transferred to Whitehills.
1949–1975 858 — R. L. P. 1949 41-foot Watson Sold in 1981. Renamed Beya. A workboat at Millport. Last reported with a sea cadet group in England, June 1989.
1975–1992 1023 37-31 J. Reginald Corah 1974 Rother Sold in 1995. Renamed Louise 2-G-B-H. Unaltered at Guldborg, Denmark, December 2025.
1992–2016 1182 12-23 Robert Charles Brown 1992 Mersey Sold in 2019. Renamed Atlantic, later Robert Brown. At Zaandam, Netherlands, December 2025.
2016– 1320 13-13 George Thomas Lacey 2016 Shannon [24]
More post-service details can be found on the respective lifeboat class pages.

Inshore lifeboats

On station[25] Op. No.[b] Name Class Comments[25]
1993–1994 D-406 Phyl Clare D-class (EA16) First deployed in the relief fleet in 1990, transferred to Newquay in 1994.
1994–1995 D-417 Douglas Hurndall D-class (EA16) First deployed in the relief fleet in 1991.
1995–2003 D-475 Phyl Clare 2 D-class (EA16)
2003–2012 D-613 Jack Cleare D-class (IB1)
2012–2023 D-752 Phyl & Jack D-class (IB1)
2023– D-884 Roy Norgrove D-class (IB1) [26]
  1. 1 2 ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. 1 2 Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) x 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss M. Rider Wilde, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £389.
  2. ↑ 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m) x 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m) (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Lady Erle of Liphook, built by Watkins of Blackwall, London, costing £533.
  3. ↑ 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m) x 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Lady Erle of Liphook, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £585.
  4. ↑ 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m) x 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mr F. B. Drybrough of Piccadilly, built by Hansen of Cowes, costing £492 when new.
  5. ↑ 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) x 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mrs H.Sturmy of Blackheath, built by Summers and Payne of Southampton, completed by Saunders of Cowes, costing £2,800.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Swanage's Station History". RNLI. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  2. ↑ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2026). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2026. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. p. 111.
  3. ↑ Cox 1998, p. 159.
  4. ↑ "Shipping Intelligence". Glasgow Herald. No. 10945. Glasgow. 25 January 1875.
  5. ↑ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. IX (97): 395. 2 August 1875. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  6. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2026, pp. 8–9.
  7. ↑ "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. IX (99): 443–444. 1 February 1876. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "The Gale on Sunday". Hampshire Telegraph. No. 4547. Portsmouth. 15 March 1876.
  9. ↑ "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Life-boat. XVI (177): 285. 1 August 1895. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Inaugural Ceremonies of Motor Life-Boats: Swanage". The Life-boat. XXVII (295): 120–121. September 1928. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  11. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2026, p. 78.
  12. ↑ Leonard & Denton 2026, p. 82.
  13. ↑ "Swanage RNLI lifeboat station sees final launch". BBC News. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "RNLI officially opens new Swanage lifeboat station". BBC News. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
  16. ↑ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "Queen's Birthday Honour for Swanage RNLI lifeboat volunteer". BBC. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  19. ↑ "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "British Empire Medal". London Gazette. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  21. 1 2 Leonard & Denton 2026, pp. 8–5.
  22. ↑ Farr, Grahame; Morris, Jeff (1992). List of British Lifeboats Part 1 & 2 (Second ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society. pp. 1–88.
  23. 1 2 Leonard & Denton 2026, pp. 28–55.
  24. ↑ "New Swanage RNLI lifeboat named and dedicated". Ships Monthly. April 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  25. 1 2 Leonard & Denton 2026, pp. 75–82.
  26. ↑ Mack, Becky (9 December 2023). "Swanage Lifeboat Station welcomes new inshore lifeboat". RNLI. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
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