Llandudno Lifeboat Station

Llandudno Lifeboat Station
The new Llandudno Lifeboat Station (2017) on the promenade at Craig-y-Don
Llandudno, Conwy
Former names	Ormes Head Lifeboat
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Craig-y-Don
Address	Colwyn Road
Town or city	Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 3AA
Country	Wales, UK
Coordinates	53°19′19″N3°50′2″W / 53.32194°N 3.83389°W / 53.32194; -3.83389
Opened	1861
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Llandudno RNLI Lifeboat Station

Llandudno Lifeboat Station is located in the town and seaside resort of Llandudno, sitting on the Creuddyn peninsula, in Conwy County Borough, North Wales.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Llandudno by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1861. The station was initially named Ormes Head Lifeboat Station. ^[1]

The station currently operates a Shannon-class lifeboat 13-18 William F. Yates (ON 1325), on station since 24 September 2017, and a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Dr Barbara Saunderson (D-793) since 2016. In order to accommodate the new Shannon-class lifeboat, a new boathouse was built on the south end of the promenade at Craig-y-Don. ^[2]

History

The 'Ormes Head' lifeboat was designed to look after the busy shipping area close to the Great Orme, used by the many ships to ferry goods to the enormous Mersyside docks and other North Western destinations. The Great Orme with its shallow waters, strong tides, rocky coastline and often strong winds, claimed many ships and lives. Because of the weather and tidal conditions, plus the depths of water, vicious waves can quickly build up around the Orme and Liverpool Bay.

At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 1 December 1859, letters were read from Rev. M. Morgan, of Conway, and Mr. John Jones of Llandudno, which highlighted the necessity of a lifeboat at Llandudno. At a further meeting of the committee on 2 August 1860, and following a visit to the area and report by the Inspector of Lifeboats, it was decided to establish a lifeboat station at Llandudno. ^{[3] [4]}

A third meeting of the committee on 4 October 1860, noted letters from the Misses Browne, of Toxteth Park, Liverpool, and their donation of £200, which they wished to be used for the purchase of a life-boat to be stationed at Llandudno, and to be called the The Sisters' Memorial, in memory of a deceased sister. ^[4]

A new lifeboat house was constructed on Augusta Street, adjacent to the entrance of Llandudno Railway Station, at a cost of £147-10s. It was thought that it would be easy to transport the lifeboat by rail to other parts of the coast if required, but the circumstances never arose, and this never happened. ^{[1] [5]}

The new 32-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, and costing £190, arrived in Llandudno on 14 January 1861, transported with its carriage and equipment free of charge, by the London and North Western Railway. The following day, the lifeboat was duly named Sisters Memorial, and launched on demonstration. ^[6]

The name of the station was formally changed to Llandudno Lifeboat Station in 1893

1903 Llandudno Lifeboat Station

In 1903, a new boathouse was constructed on Lloyd Street, at a cost of £1300. Llandudno sits on the isthmus between the mainland and the Great Orme, with a shore on either side of the town. The site of the Llandudno Lifeboat Station on Lloyd Street was almost equi-distant from both of Llandudno's shores, from where the lifeboat could be towed equally quickly in either direction. ^{[1] [7]}

Whilst allowing a launch in either direction, the downside was that the station was approximately 700 metres (0.43 mi) from either launching point, with its consequential launch travelling the streets of Llandudno taking on average 12–15 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. ^[7]

On 27 March 1919, the Llandudno lifeboat Theodore Price (ON 486) was launched into a north-westerly gale, to the aid of the schooner Ada Mary of Liverpool. In danger of being driven ashore after losing her sails, and one anchor cable, the lifeboat managed to rescue her crew of two in difficult conditions. After a further two hours, battling to return to Llandudno, the lifeboat made for Colwyn Bay. Coxswain John Owen was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal. ^[8]

More recently, Llandudno lifeboat has undertaken some famous and unusual rescues. One mammoth 18-hour rescue in gale force winds in 2008 saw the lifeboat, under the command of Coxswain Graham Heritage, going 34 miles offshore to rescue a couple in distress whose boat had become anchored to the sea bed by fishing nets. Crew member Tim James was put aboard and spent an hour and a half, frequently submerged by waves, freeing the boat from the nets. As a result of their service that year The Crew were awarded the North Wales 'Your Champions' 2008 team award and Tim James received the top award 'Champion of Champions'. ^[9] A couple of years earlier, the inshore boat was launched to the aid of a humpback whale that had become tangled in ropes and a buoy off Rhos-on-Sea. The whale was successfully cut free probably saving its life. ^[10]

The Llandudno inshore lifeboat serves the immediate coastline of the Great Orme, Little Orme, Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno West Shore. On the West Shore there are dangerous sands, widely used by families visiting the seaside, that can quickly become flooded trapping people on the sand bars as the tide floods. Sadly these sands have caused tragedy in recent years and it is for this reason that the Llandudno Inshore Lifeboat, along with Conwy Inshore Lifeboat, are on 24-hour call for an immediate launch.

In 2011, Dan Jones, a former Llandudno Lifeboat RNLI coxswain was awarded an MBE for his dedication to the service. ^[11]

New lifeboat station

Llandudno's previous Mersey-class lifeboat, while sat on its transport trailer, with sea-tow Talus MB-H tractor

Llandudno was scheduled to receive a new Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat in 2015, but the existing lifeboat station was too small to house it. In previous years, a number of attempts had been made to relocate the lifeboat station without success, due to planning complaints raised by local hoteliers, who did not want a lifeboat station interrupting the view in front of their hotel. On the other hand, local residents around the existing lifeboat station complained of the ground shaking, every time a launch was undertaken. ^[12]

Construction of a new boathouse at Craig-y-Don finally began in the spring of 2016 and was completed in the summer of 2017. The new Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat arrived at the new station on 24 September 2017. ^{[13] [14]}

Station honours

The following are awards made at Llandudno. ^{[1] [8]}

• RNLI Bronze Medal

John Owen, Coxswain – 1919

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Robert Jones, Helm – 1974

• A Special Framed Certificate

Llandudno Lifeboat Station – 1990 (Towyn and Pensarn Flooding)

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Craig Roberts, duty officer at Conwy Marina – 1997

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Meurig Glynn Davies, Coxswain – 1993QBH ^[15]

Ian (Dan) Jones, Head Launcher and former Coxswain – 2011NYH ^[16]

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Llandudno lifeboat. ^[1]

• Taken ill after the inaugural launch of lifeboat Sunlight No. 1 (ON 124), and died two weeks later, 1887

Edward Jones, Second Coxswain

• Died after being run over by the lifeboat carriage during launch, 1890

Robert Williams

• Died after being run over by the lifeboat carriage during launch, 1892

Arthur Whalley

• Died from exposure following service on 22 February 1908

John Williams, crew member

Llandudno lifeboats

Pulling and sailing (P&S) lifeboats

ON [a]	Name	On Station [17]	Class	Comments
Pre-377	Sisters Memorial	1861–1867	32-foot Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 1]
Pre-486	Sisters Memorial	1867–1887	33-foot Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 2]
124	Sunlight No. 1	1887–1902	37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 3]
486	Theodore Price	1902–1930	37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)	[Note 4]
465	Sarah Jane Turner	1930–1931	37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)
512	Matthew Simpson	1931–1933	37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Motor lifeboats

ON [a]	Op. No. [b]	Name	On Station [18]	Class	Comments
768	–	Thomas & Annie Wade Richards	1933–1953	35ft 6in Self-righting motor	[Note 5]
851	–	Tillie Morrison, Sheffield	1953–1959	35ft 6in Self-righting motor	[Note 6]
792	–	Annie Ronald & Isabella Forrest	1959–1964	Liverpool
976	37-09	The Lilly Wainwright	1964–1990	Oakley
1164	12-006	Andy Pearce	1990–2017	Mersey
1325	13-18	William F. Yates	2017-	Shannon

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No. [b]	Name	On Station [19]	Class	Comments
D-54	Unnamed	1965–1966	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-109	Unnamed	1967–1976	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-250	Unnamed	1977–1988	D-class (Zodiac III)
D-359	41 Club I	1988–1996	D-class (EA16)
D-508	John Saunderson	1996–2006	D-class (EA16)
D-656	William Robert Saunderson	2007–2016	D-class (IB1)
D-793	Dr Barbara Saunderson	2016–	D-class (IB1)

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No. [b]	Reg. No.	Type	On Station [20]	Comments
T2	AH 5933	Clayton	1922
T14	XW 2075	Clayton	1933–1946
T12	LLY 75	Clayton	1946–1948
T40	JXR 67	Case LA	1948–1956
T31	FGU 821	Case L	1956–1961
T33	FYP 356	Case L	1961–1964
T73	500 GYR	Case 1000D	1964–1965
T72	518 GYM	Case 1000D	1965–1969
T56	MYR 426	Fowler Challenger III	1969–1977
T86	SEL 395R	Talus MBC Case 1150B	1977–1987
T102	E387 VAW	Talus MB-H Crawler	1987–1999
T94	B567 FAW	Talus MB-H Crawler	1999–2008
T91	UAW 558Y	Talus MB-H Crawler	2008–2017
SC-T14	HF67 CAV	SLARS (Clayton)	2017–	Roy Barker

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.

See also

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

Notes

1. 32-foot x 7-foot 10in (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £190.
2. 33-foot x 8-foot 7in (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £284-3s-10d.
3. 37-foot x 8-foot (12-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £529.
4. 37-foot x 9-foot 3in (10-oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks, costing £529.
5. 35-foot 6in Self-righting lifeboat, with a single 35hp 'Weyburn' AE6 petrol-engine, providing 7⅓ knots, built by J. Samuel White.
6. 35-foot 6in Self-righting lifeboat, with twin 18hp 'Weyburn' AE4 petrol-engines.

References

1. "Llandudno's station history". Llandudno Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
2. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 130.
3. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. IV (35): 233. 2 January 1860. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
4. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. IV (39): 372–373. 1 January 1861. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
5. "Llandudno - Carnarvonshire IV.4.5". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
6. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. IV (41): 485. 1 July 1861. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
7. "SH7782SE - A". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
8. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. p. 245. ISBN   0907605893.
9. "Couple rescued from the high seas". BBC News. 4 September 2008.
10. "Whale trapped in mooring rope freed". Wales Online. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
11. Llandudno lifeboat’s coxswain gets MBE - North Wales Weekly News
12. Wena Alun Owen (7 May 2012). "Llandudno town centre boathouse rethink to fit new lifeboat". BBC Wales News . Retrieved 7 May 2012.
13. "Lifeboat plans for home by sea". BBC News. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
14. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 71.
15. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
16. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
17. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 8–36.
18. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 46–71.
19. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 87–99.
20. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 103–106, 113.

External links

• Llandudno RNLI Lifeboat Station
• Archive footage of the Llandudno lifeboat from 1926