Holyhead Lifeboat Station

RNLI Lifeboat Station in Anglesey, Wales

Holyhead Lifeboat Station
Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi

Holyhead Lifeboat Station

Holyhead, Anglesey

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 / 53.318; -4.642
Opened| 1828
Owner|  Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Holyhead RNLI Lifeboat Station

Holyhead Lifeboat Station (Welsh: Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi) is located at Newry Beach, off Beach Road, Holyhead, a port town which sits on Holy Island, a smaller island to the north-west of the main Isle of Anglesey, separated by the Cymyran Strait, in North 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.

A lifeboat was established at Holyhead in 1808. More formal arrangements were made in 1829, when a Holyhead lifeboat was operated by the Anglesey Lifesaving Association (ALA). Management of the lifeboats of the ALA was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1855.[1]

Trent-class lifeboat 14-07 Frederick Storey Cockburn (ON 1205)

The station currently operates 14-07 Frederick Storey Cockburn (ON 1205), a Trent-class All-weather lifeboat, on station since 2025, and the smaller D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat, Mary & Archie Hooper (D-791), on station since 2016.[2]

## History

[edit]

1858 Holyhead Lifeboat House, now 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.[3] 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.[4]

Holyhead Lifeboat 1950–1980 Barnett-class (ON 884) St Cybi (Civil Service No. 9) at Chatham Historic Dockyard

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 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 (EA16) and its launching trolley. The current inshore boat, Mary & Archie Hooper (D-791), entered service in 2016.[4] Lead was stolen from the station's roof in the morning of 16 June 2011.[5] In February 2015 the station appointed its first female helm.[6]

The Christopher Pearce was reallocated to the RNLI relief fleet in 2025, with Holyhead receiving the Trent-class lifeboat 14-07 Frederick Storey Cockburn (ON 1205) from the relief fleet.

## Station honours

[edit]

The following are awards made at Holyhead[7][8]
Holyhead have been awarded 49 medals. 4 Gold, 32 Silver and 13 Bronze

* RNIPLS Gold Medal

Rev. James Williams, Llanfairynghornwy – 1835

Capt. William Owen, of the brig Stanley – 1835

* RNLI Gold Medal

William Owen, Coxswain Superintendent – 1908

Lt. Cmdr. Harold Harknett Harvey VRD, RNR, Inspector of Lifeboats (North West) – 1967

* RNIPLS Silver Medal

Thomas Hughes, Boatman 1st Class – 1829

Robert Stables, Coxswain – 1833
Capt. William Owen – 1833
Oliver Anthony, Master Mariner – 1833

Richard Morris, Lifeboat Keeper – 1835

Henry Parry, Quartermaster, H.M. Packet Doberell – 1840

* RNLI Silver Medal

William Rowlands, Coxswain – 1866

William Rowlands, Coxswain – 1867 (Second-Service clasp)

Thomas Roberts, Coxswain – 1883
(This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).

Thomas Roberts, Coxswain – 1886 (Second-Service clasp)

Edward Jones, Coxswain – 1887

John O. Williams, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Holyhead, Hon. Secretary – 1888

Edward Jones, Coxswain – 1889 (Second-Service clasp)
Robert Jones, Second Coxswain – 1889

John O. Williams, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Holyhead, Hon. Secretary – 1890 (Second-Service clasp)
William Owen, Pilot – 1890
George Jones, Boatman – 1890
John Roberts, Farmer and Fisherman – 1890
John Morris, Farmer – 1890

Thomas W. Brooke, crewman – 1908
George Jones, crewman – 1908
Lewis Jones, crewman – 1908
Richard Jones, crewman – 1908
Samuel Jones, crewman – 1908
James Lee, crewman – 1908
William McLaughlin, crewman – 1908
Charles H. Marshall, crewman – 1908
William Owen Jnr, crewman – 1908
Lewis Roberts, crewman – 1908

Thomas Alcock, Coxswain – 1967
Eric Samuel Jones, Motor Mechanic – 1967

William Jones, Coxswain – 1977

* RNLI Bronze Medal

Richard Jones, Coxswain – 1943
John Jones, Motor Mechanic – 1943

Richard Jones, Coxswain – 1949 (Second-Service clasp)

William John Jones, Second Coxswain – 1967
Francis Ward, Acting Bowman – 1967
Jack Sharpe, Acting Assistant Mechanic – 1967
David Graham Drinkwater, crew member – 1967
John Michael Hughes, crew member – 1967
Brian Gordon Stewart, crew member – 1967

Donald Malcolm Forrest, Mechanic – 1971
Gareth Ogwen Jones, crew member – 1971
John Michael Hughes, crew member – 1971 (Second-Service clasp)

William John Jones, Coxswain – 1977 (Second-Service clasp)

* The Thanks of the Institution on Vellum

Awarded to each of the 15 crew – 1883
(This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).

Holyhead lifeboat crew – 1978

* The Sugar Manufacturer’s Association (of Jamaica) Ltd Case of Rum 1954
for the longest continuous service during the winter months of 1953/54

Holyhead lifeboat crew – 1954

* Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Thomas Brian Thomson, Coxswain – 2007QBH[9]

## Holyhead lifeboats

[edit]

### All-weather lifeboats

[edit]

#### Holyhead (No.1)

[edit]

ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name  | On Station[10] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|
|

Pre-144 | –  | Unnamed | 1829–1858  | 31-foot 6in Palmer | [Note 1][11]
Pre-313  | –  | Unnamed,
Forester | 1858–1864  | 30-foot Peake Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 2]
Pre-310  | –  | Princess of Wales | 1864–1875  | 36-foot Self-Righting (P&S)  | [Note 3]
192  | –  | Thomas Fielden | 1875–1891  | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [Note 4]
300  | –  | Thomas Fielden | 1891–1897  | 39-foot Self-Righting (P&S)  | [Note 5]
231  | –  | Duke of Northumberland | 1897–1922  | Steam |
420  | –  | James Stevens No.3 | 1922–1928  | Steam |
708  | –  | H.C.J. | 1928–1929  | 45-foot 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 | 2003–2025  | Severn |
1205  | 14-07  | Frederick Storey Cockburn | 2025–  | Trent |

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

#### Holyhead No.2

[edit]

ON[a] | Name  | On Station[12] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|

264  | Joseph Whitworth | 1890–1915  | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)  | [Note 6]
617  | Fanny Harriet | 1915–1929  | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)  |
485  | Robert and Catherine | 1929–1930  | 34-foot Self-Righting (Motor) |

#### Holyhead No.3

[edit]

ON[a] | Name  | On Station[13] | Class  | Comments

|
|
|
|

231  | Duke of Northumberland | 1892–1893  | Steam | Later in service at Holyhead No.1

### Inshore lifeboats

[edit]

Op. No.[b] | Name  | On Station[14] | 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) |

1. ^ a b c ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. ^ a b Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

## See also

[edit]

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

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 31-foot 6in x 6-foot 4in (8-oared) Palmer-class lifeboat, built by McVea, costing £80.
2. ^ 30-foot x 7-foot 6in (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £156.
3. ^ 30-foot x 7-foot 6in (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built and modified by Forrestt of Limehouse to 6-foot x 8-foot 2in (12-oared).
4. ^ 37-foot x 9-foot 1in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
5. ^ 39-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
6. ^ 37-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 121.
2. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 68, 99.
3. ^ "About". Holyhead Lifeboat Station. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
4. ^ a b "Holyhead lifeboat station". History Points. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
5. ^ "Thieves steal lead from Holyhead lifeboat station". North Wales Chronicle. 17 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
6. ^ Wyn-Williams, Gareth (19 February 2015). "Holyhead RNLI gets its first female helm in almost 200 years". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
7. ^ "Holyhead's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
8. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0-907605-89-3.
9. ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
10. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 6–70.
11. ^ Farr, Graham (1975). George Palmer's Lifeboats, 1828–47. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 20–21\. ISBN 0905033019.
12. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 26–35.
13. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 24.
14. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 88–99.

## External links

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* Holyhead RNLI Lifeboat Station

* v
* t
* e

RNLI lifeboat stations in Wales

* Penarth
* Barry Dock
* Porthcawl
* Port Talbot
* The Mumbles
* Horton and Port Eynon
* Burry Port
* Tenby
* Angle
* Little and Broad Haven
* St Davids
* Fishguard
* Cardigan (Poppit Sands)
* New Quay
* Aberystwyth
* Borth
* Aberdovey
* Barmouth
* Criccieth
* Pwllheli
* Abersoch
* Porthdinllaen
* Trearddur Bay
* Holyhead
* Moelfre
* Beaumaris
* Conwy
* Llandudno
* Rhyl
* Flint

(Stations are ordered in clockwise order around the coast)
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