Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station

In 1828, Mr J. V. Lee of Ilfracombe wrote to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the organisation which became the RNLI in 1854, requesting help towards the modification of a pilot boat, to be used at Ilfracombe as a lifeboat. The RNIPLS agreed to funds not exceeding £28, which turned out to be £13-12s, after the work was carried out. No records of any service are available, although there are reports of a rescue on 1 April 1838, with the RNIPLS awarding 10 shillings to each of the crew of the rescue boat.^[3]

Many early lifeboats came to the end of their operational life in the 1840s, and were not replaced, coming just at the time when the RNIPLS was in decline and struggling for funds. A new lifeboat, built by Thomas and White of Cowes, was provided to Ilfracombe in 1850, by the newly formed Ilfracombe Lifeboat Association. The boat was named Lady Franklin, thought to be after the wife of explorer Sir John Franklin, and operated from a boat house at the corner of Hierns Lane near the harbour. Again, no records of any service have been found.^[3][4]

By 1864, the Lady Franklin was reported as unserviceable. In 1865, Mr Nathaniel Vye, JP and several other influential locals, wrote to a now revitalised RNLI, asking that a lifeboat station be established at Ilfracombe. The request was agreed. In 1866, a new boathouse was constructed at a cost of £222-15s, on a site provided by Sir Bourchier Wrey, at the foot of Lantern Hill. A new 32-foot-long (9.8 m) self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and (10) oars, was dispatched to Ilfracombe, transported free of charge to Barnstaple by the London and South Western Railway. Nathaniel Vye was appointed as Honorary Secretary, with George Williams appointed as coxswain.^[5][6][7]

The cost of the new lifeboat and carriage was the gift of Robert Broadwater of Hornsea Rise Prior to being transported to Ilfracombe, the boat was rowed from Forrestt's boatyard at Limehouse, to Greenwich, where Mr Broadwater was celebrating his 50th birthday. On 14 November 1866, the lifeboat was formally named Broadwater.^[5][7]

At 19:00 on 19 March 1869, the Italian barque Drago was reported in trouble off Morte Point. The Ilfracombe lifeboat Broadwater finally got away at the third attempt, launching at 10:30 the following day, followed by four hours hard rowing in rough seas to reach the casualty vessel. All 15 crew plus a pilot, were rescued, with the lifeboat towed back to Ilfracombe by steam tug.^[8]

As a result of the service to the Drago, and the rowing distance required to cover a stretch of coastline notorious for shipwreck, the Ilfracombe branch requested that an additional lifeboat be placed nearer Morte Point. Morte Bay Lifeboat Station (later renamed Morthoe Lifeboat Station) was established in 1871, but with few local residents, it was agreed that Ilfracombe would supply the crew when required. Extra men were enrolled at Ilfracombe, in case both boats were required. Former coxswain George Williams was appointed as caretaker of the new station.^[8][9]

Alterations to the pier in 1871 meant that the slipway was lost, and the boat then had to be taken along the road to the harbour whenever it was needed. The 1866 boathouse was demolished in 1893, and a new larger building was constructed for the new lifeboat, Co-operator No. 2 (ON 355), which at 37 feet (11 m), was 3-feet longer than the previous boat.^[10]

The first motor lifeboat at Ilfracombe was placed on station in March 1936. This was a 32-foot (9.8 m) Surf lifeboat, a type that was designed for work close inshore. It was replaced by a more conventional 35-foot (11 m) Liverpool-class boat in 1945. The Surf boat was sent to the Netherlands, where there was an acute shortage of lifeboats at the end of World War II.^[10]

In 1991, a D-class (EA16) Inshore lifeboat (D-336) was placed at Ilfracombe on a trial basis for one season. The Inshore boat was made a permanent asset on 27 November, following a decision by the executive committee.^[11]

The 1893 boathouse was modified in 1990 to accommodate the new Mersey-class lifeboat 12-007 Spirit of Derbyshire (ON 1165), but in 1996, a new boathouse was constructed at the head of the harbour. Not only providing updated crew facilities, and housing both the All-weather and Inshore lifeboats, it was sited directly in front of the harbour slipway, allowing much faster launch times.^[11]

2000 would see the arrival of the D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Deborah Brown (D-555), funded by a special appeal organised by Mr Paul Brown of London, in memory of his wife Deborah. This would be the first of now three lifeboats provided by the same fund, with Deborah Brown III (D-863) arriving on service in 2022.^[12]

After serving Ilfracombe for 25 years, Spirit of Derbyshire was withdrawn to the relief fleet in 2015, replaced with a state-of-the-art Shannon-class lifeboat, 13-09 The Barry and Peggy High Foundation (ON 1316).^[13]

On 2 October 2025, the RNLI announced that following a national review of service calls, the Shannon-class lifeboat at Ilfracombe will be reallocated to a different station in 2026/27, and be replaced with an 8.5 m (28 ft) B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat.^[14]

The Shannon-class lifeboat at Ilfracombe has an operating range of 250 nautical miles (460 km) and a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). Adjacent All-weather lifeboats are stationed at Appledore to the West, and The Mumbles to the North, along with a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat at Minehead to the East.^[2]

On 13 November 1949, in a full north-west gale, and the worst sea conditions for many years, the SS Monte Gurugu, on passage for Genoa from Newport with a cargo of coal and a crew of 37, broke her rudder off Morte Point, sending out an SOS at 05:00. In a joint service with lifeboats from Clovelly and Appledore, the Ilfracombe lifeboat Richard Silver Oliver (ON 794) was launched, the coxswain using all his years of experience to navigate the coast. An empty lifeboat was found by the Appledore lifeboat, who then managed to pick up one survivor. On arrival on scene, the Ilfracombe lifeboat managed to tow the vessel clear of the shore, and then took aboard the 23 remaining crew. Coxswain Cecil Irwin was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.^[15]

On the afternoon of 7 June 1975, whilst rowing his new 9 ft (2.7 m) dinghy, 14-year-old Scout Martin Ruddy spotted a group of people on a sinking speedboat waving for help. After rowing half a mile out to sea, despite dangerous cross currents and rocks, he reached the vessel after 20 minutes, and rescued four people and a dog. In a rare award to non-lifeboat crew, Martin Ruddy was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal.^[16]

In a Force 8 gale on 9 September 1984, the yacht Liberty was dragging her anchor just 50 yards (46 m) from the shore when the Lloyds II reached her. The lifeboat's crew managed to get a line secured to the yacht and towed her into the harbour. The RNLI Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain David Clemence for his courage, leadership and seamanship.^[17]

The following are awards made at Ilfracombe:^[11][18]

• RNLI Silver Medal

  Capt. C. Gray-Jones, RN, Second Assistant Inspector of Lifeboats – 1875 (Second-Service clasp)

  Cecil G. Irwin, Coxswain – 1950

• Silver Prize Medal, awarded by the Spanish Society for Saving the Shipwrecked

  Cecil G. Irwin, Coxswain – 1950

• RNLI Bronze Medal

  Martin Ruddy, Scout (14) – 1975

  David Clemence, Coxswain – 1984

• Medal Service Certificate

  Colin D. Thadwald, Second Coxswain – 1984

  Wayland Smith, Motor Mechanic – 1984

  John W. Fennell, Assistant Mechanic – 1984

  Andrew P. Bengey, crew member – 1984

  David P. Clemence, crew member – 1984

  Maurice J. Woodger, crew member – 1984

• Diploma of Merit, awarded by the Spanish Society for Saving the Shipwrecked

  Ilfracombe Lifeboat Crew – 1950

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

  Andrew Putt, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1994

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

  David Clemence, Coxswain – 1981

  Andrew Bengey, Coxswain – 2000

• Letter of Thanks signed by the Director of the Institution

  Leigh Hanks, Mechanic – 2000

  Martin Embrey, crew member – 2000

• Letter of Thanks signed by the Chief of Operations of the Institution

  Ilfracombe Lifeboat Crew – 2000

• British Empire Medal

  Edward George Williams, Coxswain – 1971^[19]

In memory of those lost while serving at Ilfracombe:^[11]

• Lost whilst trying to rescue the crew of the ketch Arabella in their own boat, 2 October 1895

  Richard Souch, Rtd. Lifeboatman (61)

  Frederick William Souch, Lifeboatman (25)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station.

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