Penlee Lifeboat Station

Penlee Lifeboat Station
The 1983-built crew facilities at Newlyn Harbour
Newlyn
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Newlyn Harbour, TR18 5HW
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	50°06′14″N5°32′55″W / 50.1039°N 5.5487°W / 50.1039; -5.5487
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
www.rnli-penleelifeboat.org.uk
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	Former Penlee Point lifeboat house, slipway, retaining and boundary walls, and memorial garden
Designated	17 February 2023
Reference no.	1481300

Penlee Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations for Mount's Bay in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The lifeboat station operated at various locations in Penzance from the early 19th century. It moved to Penlee Point near Mousehole in 1913, thus gaining its current name, but was moved to Newlyn in 1983 without any change of name. The station is remembered for the loss of the entire lifeboat crew on 19 December 1981.

Since 2003 the station has operated a Severn-class all weather boat (ALB) and an Atlantic-class (currently an Atlantic 85) inshore lifeboat (ILB). The Severn-class lifeboat has an operating range of 250 nautical miles (460 km) and a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h), enabling it to reach any casualty up to 50 miles (80 km), and within two hours in good weather. ^[1] Adjacent lifeboats are at The Lizard to the east, and Sennen Cove to the west. ^[2]

History

Early locations

The first lifeboat in Cornwall was purchased for Penzance in 1803. Part of its cost was paid by Lloyd's of London but it was sold, in 1812, without ever being used in service and was not replaced. In 1824 a district association was formed as part of the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck and the next lifeboat in Mount's Bay was again stationed at Penzance from 1826 to 1828 by the recently formed Institution. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

The station then lapsed until 1851, when a lifeboat was again stationed in the town. The boat was kept at several different places around the town until a boathouse was built in 1856, for £88, by the RNLI (as the Institution was now known), at what is now the entrance to the railway station. There was local controversy when the boat did not launch on several occasions in 1862, and as a consequence, there was a proposal to move the lifeboat to Newlyn, which would have been unpopular with the residents of Penzance. As a compromise the lifeboat station moved to Wherrytown, where a new timber lifeboat house was opened in 1867 at the bottom of Alexandra Road, near the Coastguard Station. It was decided to move back to Penzance harbour, and in 1884 a new boathouse built of Lamorna granite at the foot of Jennings Street, at a cost of £575–6s–6d. This was paid for by a £1,000 gift from Henry Martn^{[ typo? ]} Harvey of Hexworthy, which also paid for a new lifeboat (Dora) and carriage. ^[6] In 1908, the Penzance Lifeboat Elizabeth and Blanche was moved to Newlyn, where it was kept under a tarpaulin beside the harbour, although the 1884 boathouse remained in use until 1917 as a reserve station. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

At Penlee Point

The boathouse at Penlee Point

The lifeboat remained at Newlyn until 1913, when a new boathouse was built at Penlee Point south of Newlyn on the outskirts of Mousehole. This was elevated a little above the water, and the lifeboat could be launched down a slipway into open water at all states of the tide. The old "pulling and sailing" lifeboat was replaced by one with a motor in 1922. Several similar motor lifeboats were to follow, culminating in the Solomon Browne, a wooden, twin engined, 47ft Watson-class boat that arrived at the station in 1960. ^{[11] [12]}

In 1936, Coxswain Frank Blewitt was awarded a RNLI bronze medal for rescuing the crew of nine from the SS Taycraig after it ran aground in Mount's Bay during a gale. ^[7] Coxswain Edwin Madron received a silver medal and Mechanic Johny Drew a bronze medal for another exceptional service in April 1947. They took the W and S out into 30 feet (9.1 m) seas to rescue eight people from HMS Warspite (03) which ran aground on the way to the breakers yard after it had been retired at the end of the Second World War. ^[13] Madron was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1957 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at a theatre in London. In the introduction the audience was told that although Madron 'has snatched so many lives from the cruel sea, that same sea has claimed his father and son'. He was told that the programme was dedicated 'as a tribute not only to you but to the thousands who man the lifeboats of Britain.' ^[14]

In January 1975, the Solomon Browne was launched into a Force 12 hurricane when it was reported that the 13 crew members of the MV Lovat had abandoned ship 24 miles (39 km) south west of Lizard Point. A helicopter saved two people but the rest were drowned. The lifeboat had to drop the safety rails around its deck so that the bodies could be hauled out of the sea, all while the boat was rolling side-to-side at 60˚ and the seas were washing across the boat. They were at sea for nearly eight hours. The coxswain, Trevelyan Richards, was awarded a RNLI bronze medal. ^{[12] [7]}

The loss of the Solomon Browne

Memorial garden and old boathouse at Penlee Point

Main article: Penlee lifeboat disaster

On 19 December 1981 the Solomon Browne was launched to go to the aid of the MV Union Star after its engines failed 8 miles (13 km) east of the Wolf Rock. ^[15] Winds were gusting at up to 90 knots (100 mph; 170 km/h) – hurricane force 12 on the Beaufort scale – and whipping up waves 60 feet (18 m) high. ^[16] On board the Union Star was a crew of five, and three members of the captain's family. A helicopter had been unable to rescue them and so the lifeboat with its crew of eight men went alongside. After several attempts four people managed to jump across; ^[17] the captain's family and one of the men were apparently safe. The lifeboat radioed that 'we’ve got four off'; that was the last ever heard from anyone on either vessel. ^[12]

Lifeboats were summoned from Sennen Cove, The Lizard and St Mary's to try to help their colleagues from Penlee. The Sennen Cove Lifeboat found it impossible to make headway round Land's End. The Lizard Lifeboat found a serious hole in its hull when it finally returned to its slipway after a fruitless search. Wreckage from the Solomon Browne was found along the shore, and the Union Star lay capsized onto the rocks west of Tater Du Lighthouse. Some, but not all, of the 16 bodies were eventually recovered.

Within a day of the disaster enough people from Mousehole had volunteered to form a new lifeboat crew. ^[12] Coxswain Trevelyan Richards was posthumously awarded the RNLI gold medal, while the remainder of the crew were all posthumously awarded bronze medals. The station itself was awarded a gold medal service plaque. ^[18] The disaster prompted a massive public appeal for the benefit of the village of Mousehole which raised over £3 million (£14.5 million as of 2023), ^[7] although there was an outcry when the government tried to tax the donations. ^[12]

The move to Newlyn

17-36 Ivan Ellen in Newlyn harbour

After the loss of the Solomon Browne, the Penlee Point station remained in use until 1983 when the Mabel Alice, larger, faster Arun-class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) was acquired, and a new lifeboat station constructed at Newlyn harbour, where the new lifeboat is kept afloat at a mooring. ^[19] Despite the move, the station continues to be known as 'Penlee'.

In 1991, a D-class (EA16) inshore lifeboat (ILB) was stationed on the opposite side of Mount's Bay at Marazion (although it was actually kept at St Michael's Mount). It proved difficult to find enough volunteer crews in this small village, so in 2001 the station was closed and a larger B Class boat was added to the complement at Penlee, ^[8] with a new boathouse built to house it. The following year a new pontoon was built in Newlyn harbour so that crews could board the ALB more easily. ^[8]

On 16 December 1994, the Mabel Alice and the Sennen Cove Lifeboat were launched to the aid of the Julian Paul which was adrift in a storm west of the Longships. The fishing boat's propeller had been fouled and she was towed back to Newlyn harbour. Neil Brockman, the Coxswain/Mechanic of the Penlee Lifeboat, was awarded a RNLI bronze medal for his seamanship, leadership and meritorious conduct, as was Terry George, his counterpart from Sennen Cove. ^[13]

In 2003, the Ivan Ellen, a new Severn-class ALB, was acquired by the station to replace its Arun-class predecessor. In 2016, the stations capability was further enhanced with the introduction of a replacement Atlantic 85-class ILB, the Mollie & Ivor Dent. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

Buildings

The 1884-built boathouse in 2014

The 1856- and 1867-built boathouses no longer exist, but the 1884-built boathouse still stands at the corner of Wharf Road and Jennings Street in Penzance. It is separated from the harbour by Wharf Road. It was given listed building status in 1987 ^[23] and now houses a bistro. ^[10]

The 1913-built boathouse at Penlee Point is built into the cliffs below the Newlyn to Mousehole road. It is a single-storey building with a short slipway. It launched boats into Mount's Bay facing St Michael's Mount. Although no boat is now stationed here, the boathouse is still maintained and a small memorial garden has been created on the north side of the boathouse where people can sit and remember the crew of the Solomon Browne. ^[8] In 2023 the boathouse, slipway, memorial garden, retaining and boundary walls were designated together a Grade II listed building. As well as architectural interest the reasons for designation cited the association with the Solomon Browne. ^[24]

The new station at Newlyn harbour comprises two buildings. The main one, which houses the crew facilities, workshop, and fund-raising gift shop, ^[7] is a single-storey masonry structure with a tile roof. The ALB berth is alongside a modern pontoon that is accessed by a metal truss walkway. A separate masonry and corrugated metal boathouse contains the ILB, which is launched from a shallow slipway by its entrance.

Lifeboats

'ON' is the RNLI's sequential Official Number; 'Op. No.' is the operational number painted onto the boat.

Pulling and sailing lifeboats

At station	Station	ON	Name	Built	Class	Comments
1803–1812	Penzance	–		1803	North Country	27 feet (8.2 m) long
1826–1828	Penzance	–		1825	Plenty	24 feet (7.3 m) long [5]
1853–1856	Penzance			1853	Peake
1856–1860	Penzance			1853	Peake	[9] [8]
1860–1862	Penzance		Alexandra	1860	Peake	Moved to Wherrytown c. 1862 after failure to launch to the aid of the Saint Prospere. [9]
1862–1865	Wherrytown		Alexandra	1860	Peake	c. 1862
1865–1884	Wherrytown		Richard Lewis	1865	Standard Self–righter	10-oared boat of 32 feet (9.8 m) length and 7.3 feet (2.2 m) breadth. [25]
1884–1895	Penzance	49	Dora	1884	Standard Self–righter	Provided by Mr H M Harvey of Hexworthy. [26] Sold 1895 and broken up in Ireland 1980. [27] [28]
1895–1899	Penzance	378	Elizabeth and Blanche	1895	Standard Self–righter	[9]
1899–1908	Penzance	424	Elizabeth and Blanche	1899	Watson	Moved to Newlyn in 1908 and then to Penlee in 1913. It performed the first launch from Penlee on 25 October 1913. [9] Sold 1922 and last reported in use as a yacht at Falmouth in 1969. [27]
1908–1913	Newlyn
1913–1922	Penlee
1908–1912	Penzance	341	Cape of Good Hope	1892	Standard Self–righter
1912–1917	Penzance	386	Janet Hoyle	1912	Standard Self–righter

Motor lifeboats

At station	Station	ON	Op. No.	Name	Built	Class	Comments
1922–1930	Penlee	671	–	The Brothers	1922	Watson	Single engine, transferred to Falmouth and sold in 1952; reported working as a dive support boat at Dover in 2007. [29] Transferred from a Rochester boatyard to Gweek for restoration in 2020. [30]
1930–1960	Penlee	736	–	W and S	1930	Watson	Twin engines. Sold in 1970 and converted to a motor yacht at Carrickfergus but moved to Falmouth in 2000 before being laid up at Mylor. In 2013 it was sold and moved to Harwich for restoration. [31] [32]
1960–1981	Penlee	954	–	Solomon Browne	1960	Watson	Wrecked in service [11]
1981	Penlee	987	70-001	Charles H. Barrett (Civil Service No. 35)	1965	Clyde	Relief lifeboat [9]
1981–1982	Penlee	866	–	Charles Henry Ashley	1949	Watson	New to Porthdinllaen, transferred to Fowey, sold 1986 and last reported as pleasure boat Charles Ashley in 2008.
1982–1983	Penlee	926	–	Guy and Clare Hunter	1954	Watson	Previously at St Mary's and Fowey, transferred to Padstow; sold in 1988 and reported working as a pleasure boat at Donaghadee in 2008. [33] [34]
1983–2003	Penlee (Newlyn)	1085	52-24	Mabel Alice	1982	Arun	Sold in 2004 and reported working at Portishead in 2008. [19]
2003–2003	Penlee (Newlyn)	1086	52-25	A.J.R. & L.G. Uridge	1983	Arun	Sold for further use as lifeboat Hebe at Kemi, Finland. [35]
2003–	Penlee (Newlyn)	1265	17-36	Ivan Ellen		Severn	[20] [21]

Inshore lifeboats

At Penlee	Op. No.	Name	Built	Class	Type	Comments
2001–2002	B-753	City of Bradford V	1999	B	Atlantic 75	[36]
2002–2016	B-787	Paul Alexander		B	Atlantic 75	[36]
2016–	B-893	Mollie & Ivor Dent	2005	B	Atlantic 85	[22]

See also

• Cornwall portal

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• List of RNLI stations
• List of shipwrecks of Cornwall

References

1. Wake-Walker, Edward (2008). The Lifeboats Story. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 69–70. ISBN   978-0-7509-4858-6.
2. Denton, Tony (2009). Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 68.
3. Leach, Nicholas (2006) [2000]. Cornwall's Lifeboat Heritage. Chacewater: Twelveheads Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN   0-906294-43-6.
4. "Provincial Occurrences". New Monthly Magazine. July 1824. p. 322. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
5. Leach 2006, p. 8.
6. "Plans for the new Penzance lifeboat station ...". The Cornishman. No. 311. 3 July 1884. p. 4.
7. "Penlee History". RNLI. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
8. Leach 2006, pp. 41–42.
9. Corin, J; Farr, G (1983). Penlee Lifeboat . Penzance: Penlee & Penzance Branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. pp.  120. ISBN   0-9508611-0-3.
10. "History". The Old Lifeboat House Bistro. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
11. Denton 2009, pp. 24–25.
12. Kipling, Ray; Kipling, Susannah (2006). Never Turn Back. Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 49–57. ISBN   0-7509-4307-6.
13. "History". Penlee Lifeboat Station. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
14. Ewens, Graeme (2021). The Life of a Boat. Buku Press. pp. 166–167. ISBN   978-0-9523655-3-2.
15. Mitchell, Peter (4 July 2007). "The Penlee Lifeboat Disaster". Submerged. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
16. "Lifeboat crew missing after mission". On this day. BBC. 20 December 1981. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
17. "Solomon Browne history". BBC. 27 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
18. Leach 2006, pp. 32–33.
19. Denton 2009, pp. 28–29.
20. "RNLI Penlee Lifeboat". RNLI. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
21. Denton 2009, p. 35.
22. "RNLB Mollie & Ivor Dent". RNLI Penlee Lifeboat. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
23. "Old lifeboat house". Historic England. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
24. "Former Penlee Point lifeboat house, slipway, retaining and boundary walls, and memorial garden, Penzance - 1481300 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
25. Penn, Peter (20 September 1883). "Our Lifeboat and her Crew". The Cornishman. No. 271. p. 4.
26. "Mr H M Harvey of Hexworthy". The Cornishman. No. 310. 26 June 1884. p. 7.
27. Denton 2009 , pp. 2–3
28. "The New Penzance Lifeboat Dora". The Cornishman. No. 296. 13 March 1884. p. 7.
29. Denton 2009 , pp. 12–13
30. Martin, Greg (1 October 2020). "Historic lifeboat rescued from being scrapped returns home to Cornwall". The Cornishman. p. 3.
31. Ewens 2021 , pp. 187–219
32. Denton 2009 , pp. 14–15
33. Denton 2009 , pp. 22–23
34. Ewens 2021 , p. 196
35. Denton 2009 , pp. 30–31
36. Denton 2009, p. 44.

External links

• Official website
• Lifeboat station listing (1884–1917)
• RNLI station information