Holyhead Lifeboat Station (Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi) | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
Location | Holyhead Lifeboat Station |
Address | Prince of Wales Road, Newry Beach |
Town or city | Holyhead, Anglesey, LL65 1YA |
Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
Coordinates | 53°19′05″N 4°38′31″W / 53.318°N 4.642°W |
Opened | 1828 |
Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Website | |
Holyhead RNLI Lifeboat Station |
Holyhead Lifeboat Station (Welsh: Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi) is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station in the coastal town of Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales. It is one of the three oldest lifeboat stations situated on the North Wales coast, a disused building of which houses the Holyhead Maritime Museum.
Holyhead Lifeboat Station was first mentioned in 1825 when it was decided a lifeboat would be built for the coastal town of Holyhead. A local committee was formed three years later and the first lifeboat arrived at the station shortly afterwards.[1] The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) took over control of the station in 1855 and an lifeboat house was built three years later. The station covered the shipping lane in and out of Liverpool.
In 1892, Holyhead Lifeboat Station received its first steam lifeboat, which was one of six to serve in the RNLI. The lifeboat was involved in an operation to rescue crew members of the SS Harold in 1908 which anchored near rocks between North Stack and South Stack. The third steam Lifeboat to serve at Holyhead, James Stevens No.3, was retired in 1928 when it was replaced by a motor-powered Watson-class lifeboat, H.C.J. (ON 708)
Twenty-one years later, a new boathouse and slipway were constructed on Salt Island.[2] The boathouse and slipway were used until 1980, when a new Arun-class boat was allocated to the station and kept afloat in the harbour. Unfortunately, wash from the ferry traffic led to the boat's GRP hull being damaged, and as a temporary measure a steel-hulled Waveney-class boat was placed on station while the boathouse and slipway were reconditioned and a new Tyne-class boat was constructed for the station. The new boat entered service in 1985, and slipway launching continued until 1997 when a new, more protected, berth was found for another Arun-class boat, 52-37 Kenneth Thelwall (ON 1123) to take over.
In 2003, the Arun-class was replaced by the present Severn-class Lifeboat, 17–41 Christopher Pearce (ON 1272)
An inshore lifeboat station was established on the site in 1967. The boathouse was expanded in 1987 to fit a D-class lifeboat (EA16) and its launching trolley. Its current inshore boat, (D-791) Mary & Archie Hooper, entered service in 2016.[2] Lead was stolen from the station's roof in the morning of 16 June 2011.[3] In February 2015 the station appointed its first female helm.[4]
The following are awards made at Holyhead[5][6]
Holyhead have been awarded 49 medals. 4 Gold, 32 Silver and 13 Bronze
ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[8] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | – | Unnamed | 1829–1858 | 31-foot 6in Palmer | [9] |
Pre-313 | – | Unnamed | 1858–1864 | 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 1] |
Pre-310 | – | Princess of Wales | 1864–1875 | 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
192 | – | Thomas Fielden | 1875–1891 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
300 | – | Thomas Fielden | 1891–1897 | 39-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
231 | – | Duke of Northumberland | 1897–1922 | Steam | |
420 | – | James Stevens No.3 | 1922–1928 | Steam | |
708 | – | H.C.J. | 1928–1929 | 45ft 6in Watson | |
717 | – | A.E.D. | 1929–1950 | 51-foot Barnett | |
884 | – | St.Cybi (Civil Service No.9) |
1950–1980 | 52-foot Barnett Mk1 | |
1086 | 52-15 | Hyman Winstone | 1980–1983 | Arun | |
1003 | 44-004 | Faithful Forester | 1984–1985 | Waveney | |
1095 | 47-004 | St.Cybi II (Civil Service No.40) |
1985–1997 | Tyne | |
1123 | 52-37 | Kenneth Thelwall | 1998–2003 | Arun | |
1272 | 17-41 | Christopher Pearce | 2003– | Severn |
ON[a] | Name | In service[10] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
264 | Joseph Whitworth | 1890–1915 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
617 | Fanny Harriet | 1915–1929 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
485 | Reserve No.D7 | 1929–1930 | 34-foot Self-Righting (Motor) | [Note 2] |
ON[a] | Name | In service[10] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
231 | Duke of Northumberland | 1892–1893 | Steam | [Note 3] |
Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[10] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
D-116 | Unnamed | 1967–1976 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
D-249 | Caribbean I | 1976–1988 | D-class (Zodiac III) | |
D-358 | Unnamed | 1988–1996 | D-class (EA16) | |
D-507 | Spirit of Bedworth and Nuneaton | 1996–2005 | D-class (EA16) | |
D-654 | Angel of Holyhead (Civil Service No.46) |
2005–2016 | D-class (IB1) | |
D-791 | Mary & Archie Hooper | 2016– | D-class (IB1) |