Newquay Lifeboat Station

This article is about the lifeboat station in Cornwall. For the lifeboat station in Wales, see New Quay Lifeboat Station.

Newquay Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Newquay, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It operates two lifeboats, Atlantic 85 The Gladys Mildred (B-821) and D-class (IB1) Enid Mary (D-773).

Newquay Lifeboat Station
Newquay on the north coast of Cornwall
General information
Type	Lifeboat station
Location	Newquay
Address	Newquay Harbour, South Quay Hill, Newquay, TR7 1HR
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	50°24′59″N 05°05′14″W
Opened	1994; 30 years ago (1994)
Owner	RNLI
Website
rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/newquay-lifeboat-station
Listed Building – Grade II
Feature	Old lifeboat house and slipway (Towan Head)
Designated	11 May 1988
Reference no.	1312227

History

A 'new kaye' was authorised in 1439 to provide a safe harbour during bad weather on the north coast of Cornwall. The harbour was improved in 1836, resulting in the two main piers that encircle it today.^[1] During the 1850s, three silver medals were awarded to people rescuing people from shipwrecks near Newquay.^[2] A lifeboat house was built on Fore Street in 1860, the lifeboat being taken down the street to the beach when it was needed.^[3]

Former boat house at Towan Head

A slipway was built at Towan Head in 1895^[2] with an inclination of 1 in 2.5 (40%), one of the steepest slipways in the country.^[3] A lifeboat station was also built on Towan Head in 1899 which enabled the lifeboat to be launched directly into the water.^[3]

It was suggested in 1897 that Newquay should be provided with a steam-powered lifeboat, however it was decided that Padstow was the only Cornish lifeboat station that was suitable.^[4]

The station was closed in 1934, by which time motor lifeboats at other stations could provide better coverage than the "pulling and sailing" lifeboat at Newquay powered by oars or sails. The station was reopened in 1940 to house a motor lifeboat during World War II, but closed permanently in 1945, after which the building was used by the local council.^[3]

The RNLI started to station inshore lifeboats (ILBs) around Cornwall from 1964. These could provide quicker rescues for the increasing number of leisure craft that were being used.^[5] A new lifeboat station opened on the harbour side at Newquay in June 1965. This housed a D-class ILB. In 1994 a larger station was built on the same site with space for a second ILB, a larger Atlantic 75-class which could reach casualties further from Newquay.^[3]

Awards

Members of the lifeboat crew were awarded RNLI silver and bronze medals for a meritorious rescue of the SS Osten which ran aground in a storm on 17 December 1917.^[2]

Members of Newquay's ILB crews have been recognised for their bravery several times. One received their "Thanks inscribed on vellum" in 1973. Other crew members were given the same in 1997, 2000 and 2010. Several crew members have also received a framed letter of thanks from the RNLI's chairman.^[2]

Lifeboats

At Towan Head

ON is the Official Number used in RNLI records from 1884.

James Stevens No. 5 (ON426)

At Newquay	ON	Name	Built	Class	Comments
1860–1865		Joshua	1860	Peake	[6]
1865–1873		Joshua	1865	Standard Self-Righter	[6]
1873–1892	210	Pendock Neale	1865	Standard Self-Righter	Originally built in 1865 for Kingsdown Lifeboat Station and named Sabrina which was changed to James and Elizabeth before becoming Pendock Neale.[7]
1892–1899	331	Willie Rogers	1892	Standard Self-Righter	Operated at Hope Cove in south Devon from 1900 until 1903.[8]
1899–1917	426	James Stevens No. 5	1899	Standard Self-Righter	Wrecked when launched for a service on 17 December 1917.[2] The remains were found submerged near the Towan Head slipway in 2004.[9]
1917–1920	453	John William Dudley	1900	Standard Self-Righter	Served at Rye Harbour, Sussex, until 1916. After its time at Newquay it worked at North Berwick in Scotland until 1923.[9]
1920–1934	509	Admiral Sir George Black	1903	Standard Self-Righter	Had been stationed at The Lizard on the south coast of Cornwall until 1918.[10]
1940–1945	794	Richard Silver Oliver	1937	Liverpool	A motor lifeboat initially stationed at Cullercoats.[11] After service at Newquay it moved up the coast to Ilfracombe and then to Criccieth in Wales where it remained until 1961.[12]

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No. is the Operational Number shown on the boat.

Gladys Mildred (B-821)

At Newquay	Op. No.	Name	Class	Type	New	Comments
1965–1967	D-55	(no name)	D	RFD PB16	1965	[13]
1967–1968	D-110	(no name)	D	RFD PB16	1967	[14]
1969–1979	D-171	(no name)	D	RFD PB16	1969	[15]
1979–1980	D-192	(no name)	D	RFD PB16	1971	[15]
1980–1984	D-278	(no name)	D	Zodiac III	1980	[16]
1984–1994	C-511	(no name)	C	Zodiac IV	1984	Initially carried number D-511.[17]
1994–1996	D-406	Phyl Clare	D	EA16	1990	[18]
1995	B-539	Lions International District 105 SE	B	Atlantic 21	1978	[19]
1995–2007	B-715	Phyllis	B	Atlantic 75	1995	[14]
1996–2005	D-497	Lord Daresbury	D	EA16	1996	[20]
2005–2014	D-636	Valerie Wilson	D	IB1	2005	[21]
2007	B-717	Daisy Aitken	B	Atlantic 75	1995	[22]
2007–	B-821	Gladys Mildred	B	Atlantic 85	2007	[23]
2014–	D-773	Enid Mary	D	IB1	2014	[2]

See also

• Cornwall portal

• List of RNLI stations

References

1. Roddis, Roland (1951). Cornish Harbours. Christopher Johnson. p. 126.
2. "Newquay station history". RNLI. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
3. Leach, Nicholas (2006). Cornwall's Lifeboat Heritage (2nd ed.). Twelveheads Press. p. 46.
4. Leach, Nicholas (2012). Padstow Lifeboats. The History Press. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-0-7524-6540-1.
5. Leach 2006, pp. 28–30.
6. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
7. Denton, Tony (2010). Handbook 2010. Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society. p. 5.
8. Denton 2010, p. 7.
9. Denton 2010, pp. 10–11.
10. Denton 2010, pp. 12–13.
11. "Station remembers the loss of RNLB Richard Silver Oliver". RNLI. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
12. Denton 2010, pp. 24–25.
13. Denton 2010, p. 54.
14. Denton 2010, p. 55.
15. Denton 2010, p. 56.
16. Denton 2010, p. 58.
17. Denton 2010, p. 65.
18. Denton 2010, p. 60.
19. Denton 2010, p. 49.
20. Denton 2010, p. 61.
21. Denton 2010, p. 63.
22. Denton 2010, p. 51.
23. Denton 2010, p. 52.

External links

• RNLI station information
• Newquay Old Cornwall Society
  • Photograph of James Stevens No. 5 under sail (archived)
  • Photograph of James Stevens No. 5 in Fore St (archived)
• Nicholas Charles Williams - 1909 photograph of Newquay lifeboat crew and station (archived)