Swanage Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station
The station in 2019, with the Wellington clock tower in the background
Map of Dorset showing Swanage
General information
Type	Lifeboat station
Location	Peveril Point, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2AY, England
Coordinates	50°36′28″N1°56′48″W / 50.6078°N 1.9466°W / 50.6078; -1.9466
Opened	16 September 1875
Cost	£525 (equivalent to £62,472in 2023)
Owner	RNLI
Website
RNLI Swanage Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station is located on Peveril Point, a headland on the east-facing coast of the Isle of Purbeck and is part of the town of Swanage in Dorset, 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 boat house to accommodate its new Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat (AWB), and was opened in 2017. ^[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]

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. ^[4]

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-foot 'Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and (10) oars, was sent to the station. The boat was presented to the Institution by S. J. Wilde on behalf of his aunt, the late Miss M. K. Wilde of London. ^[5]

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, 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. ^[6]

The lifeboat's first service was on 13 March 1876, when it saved a ketch, the William Pitt of Poole, when it drifted ashore near Bournemouth. ^[1]

In 1890, the slipway was lengthened. In 1902, gas was laid onto the lifeboat house, and the station's first motor lifeboat arrived in 1928. ^{[1] [7]}

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. ^[1]

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.

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. ^[8]

On 8 April 2016, the Shannon-class lifeboat arrived, 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 for the new Shannon class slipway began, and 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 Shannon-class lifeboat 13-13 was officially named the George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320), and the new lifeboat station was officially opened. The new lifeboat station was opened to the public on 1 May. ^[1] The new station cost a total of £8 million, more than £465,000 of which was raised locally. ^[9]

Rescues and awards

Over the years, Swanage Lifeboat Station crew have been involved in many rescues. Ten RNLI medals for gallantry, five silver and five bronze have been awarded, the last in 1996. ^{[1] [10]}

• 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 Silver Medal

John Lose, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Swanage – 1875

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Robert Charles Brown, Assistant Motor Mechanic – 1934

Ronald Hardy, Coxswain – 1970

Ronald Hardy, Coxswain – 1977 (Second Service award)

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 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

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Captain Neil Michael Hardy, Lifeboat Operations Manager – 2015QBH ^{[11] [12]}

David Graham Corben, Chair, Lifeboat Management Group – 2024KBH ^[13]

• British Empire Medal

Robert Charles Brown, Former Coxswain – 1977QBH ^[14]

Victor Albert Charles Marsh, Coxswain Mechanic – 1989NYH ^[15]

FOREIGN AWARDS
(All 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

Swanage lifeboats

At Swanage	ON	Op. No.	Name	Class	Comments
1875–1890	193	—	Charlotte Mary	Self-Righter	35 ft (11 m) boat. [16]
1890–1893	296	—	William Erle	Self-Righter	37 ft (11 m) boat. Later stationed at Burry Port. [17]
1893–1914	358	—	William Erle	Self-Righter	37 ft (11 m) boat. [18]
1914–1918	392	—	Zaida	Self-Righter	37 ft (11 m) boat. Previously stationed at Carrickfergus. [19]
1918–1928	664	—	Herbert Sturmy	Self-Righter	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) boat. Later stationed at Falmouth and then Cadgwith. [20]
1928–1949	706	—	Thomas Markby	Self-Righter	40 ft (12 m) motor lifeboat. Later stationed at Whitehills. Sold in 1957 and converted to a yacht, reported to be in Grenada in 2017. [21]
1949–1975	858	—	R.L.P.	Watson	[22]
1975–1992	1023	37-31	J. Reginald Corah	Rother	Sold and reported to be a pleasure boat in Denmark. [23]
1992–2016	1182	12-23	Robert Charles Brown	Mersey	Sold in 2019 and now in Stellendam, Netherlands, named Atlantic. [24]
2016–	1320	13-13	George Thomas Lacey	Shannon	[25]

Inshore lifeboats

At Swanage	Op. No.	Name	Class	Model	Comments
1993–1994	D-406	Phyl Clare	D	EA16	First deployed in the relief fleet in 1990, transferred to Newquay in 1994. [26]
1994–1995	D-417	Douglas Hurndall	D	EA16	First deployed in the relief fleet in 1991. [26]
1995–2003	D-475	Phyl Clare 2	D	EA16	[26]
2003–2012	D-613	Jack Cleare	D	IB1	[27]
2012–2023	D-752	Phyl & Jack	D	IB1	[28]
2023–	D-884	Roy Norgrove	D	IB1	[29]

See also

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

References

1. "Swanage's Station History". RNLI. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
2. "Swanage's lifeboats". RNLI. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
3. Cox 1998, p. 159.
4. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. IX (97): 395. 2 August 1875. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
5. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 10.
6. "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. IX (99): 443–444. 1 February 1876. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
7. "Shipping Intelligence". Glasgow Herald. No. 10945. Glasgow. 25 January 1875.
8. "Swanage RNLI lifeboat station sees final launch". BBC News . 1 February 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
9. "RNLI officially opens new Swanage lifeboat station". BBC News . 30 April 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
10. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0907605893.
11. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
12. "Queen's Birthday Honour for Swanage RNLI lifeboat volunteer". BBC. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
13. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
14. "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
15. "British Empire Medal". London Gazette. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
16. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 10–11.
17. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 14–15.
18. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 16–17.
19. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 18–19.
20. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 28–29.
21. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 30–31.
22. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 38–39.
23. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 46–47.
24. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 54–55.
25. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 57.
26. Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 79–80.
27. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 82.
28. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 84.
29. Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 87.

External links

• RNLI Swanage Lifeboat Station