Aberystwyth Lifeboat Station

52°24′32″N 4°05′20″W / 52.40878°N 4.08893°W / 52.40878; -4.08893Opened1843, RNLI 1862Owner Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionWebsiteAberystwyth RNLI Lifeboat Station

Aberystwyth Lifeboat Station is located at South Marine Terrace, in the coastal resort of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, which sits on Cardigan Bay, on the west coast of Wales.

A lifeboat was first placed at Aberystwyth in 1843. Management of the station was taken over by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1862.

In 2023, the station received a new B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, RNLB Florence and Ernest Bowles (B-937), which is launched by submersible tractor. The station also has a smaller Arancia-class Inshore lifeboat, Wren (A-78).^[1]

The first lifeboat at Aberystwyth was a 27-foot, 6-oared boat funded by public subscription in 1843 and under the control of the harbour master. No records exist of any service carried out.^[2]

It is said that there were calls for a lifeboat service at Aberystwyth, after the wreck of the Aquila on 19 February 1861, whilst on passage from Llanelli to Aberdovey.^[3][4]

In 1862, the RNLI took over the station, completing a chain of RNLI stations along the coast of Cardigan Bay from Strumble Head to the Llŷn Peninsula. A new 32-foot 10-oared self-righting 'puling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was placed at the station, and named Evelyn Wood.^[2][5][6]

The first lifeboat house was built on Victoria terrace, near to the Glengower Hotel today. It cost £125-5s-6d. In 1875, a new boathouse was constructed on Queens Road, at a cost of £250. This was later used as a BBC studio between 1990 and 2000, and then a store for Ceredigion County Council. Since 2020, it has been used by Ceredigion Archives, with regulated temperature and humidity, following a grant from the Welsh Government.^[7]

A severe gale on 29 December 1900 saw Coxswain David Williams launch the lifeboat to a fishing smack; in heavy seas three lifeboatmen (Jack Williams, Tom Jones and J.C. Rea) were thrown overboard but were rescued by their fellow crewmen. Despite the loss of most of their oars, they managed to beach the lifeboat and hold it until the tide ebbed. In the meantime the fishermen, whose boat was wrecked on the rocks, made it safely to shore.^[8]

In February 1946 Frederick Angus (ON 757) was at sea for more than 24 hours in severe weather standing by the broken-down submarine HMS Universal and helping to rescue her crew.^[9]

In 1964, the Liverpool-class lifeboat Aguila Wren (ON 892) was withdrawn, and Aberystwyth became the first RNLI lifeboat station to change from offshore to solely inshore lifeboats.^[10]

The Arancia IRB was established at Aberystwyth in 2011 and was dedicated in Holy Trinity Church, it is believed to be the first and only lifeboat to be dedicated within a church.^[11][12]

This station is classed as an RNLI "Observe" lifeboat station; it welcomes visitors via appointment.^[13]

Groups (schools, clubs, organisations) who wish to visit the station can request a tour and presentation via the stations website.^[14]

A number of awards have been made to recognise exemplary service to the RNLI.^[5]

• 1866 Silver medal to Watkin Lewis for his part in the rescue of the crew of schooner Rebecca
• 1954 Thanks of the Institute inscribed on Vellum to Coxswain Baden P Davies for the rescue of crew from fishing vessel Lindy Lou
• 1970 Thanks of the institute inscribed on Vellum to A Blair, M Nichol and K Stone for the rescue of a bather
• 1976 Bronze medal to Alan Blair for the rescue of trapped crew of capsized motor cruiser Annabel II
• 1978 Framed letter of appreciation to Robert Gorman for the rescue of the crews of two boats
• 1985 Letter of appreciation to Helmsman Alan Blair for the rescue of a young bather
• 1991 Bronze medals to C-class Helmsman Peter Heading and crew member Robert Gorman, skipper of fishing vessel Seren-y-mor for the rescue of yacht Otter's solo crew member. Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum to crew member Michael Harris for his part in the same service. Framed letters of appreciation to David Davies and Martin Porter, lifeboat crew, and Alan Blair, Brian Slack, Bryan Pugh-Jones and Sandro James, members of the Seren-Y-Mor crew. The Ralph Glister Award was awarded to the crew for this service.

Aberystwyth has been served by a number of lifeboats in its more than 150 years of operation by the RNLI and more than 170 years in total.^{[10][15][16][17]}

ON[a]	Name	In service[18]	Class	Comments
–	Unnamed	1843–1862	27-foot Pulling (6 oars)	Independent lifeboat under Harbourmaster's control
Pre-384	Evelyn Wood	1862–1876	32-foot Self-righting (P&S)	First RNLI lifeboat,(10 oars)
Pre-573	Lady Haberfield	1876–1881	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)
Pre-653	Lady Haberfield	1881–1887	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)
128	Elizabeth Lloyd	1887–1906	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)
562	John and Naomi Beattie	1906–1932	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	(10 oars)
757	Frederick Angus	1932–1949	35ft 6in Self-righting motor
745	Lady Harrison	1949–1951	35ft 6in Self-righting motor
892	Aguila Wren	1951–1964	Liverpool

All Weather Lifeboat withdrawn in 1964

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

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service[1]	Class	Comments
D-1	Unnamed	1963	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-19	Unnamed	1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-30	Unnamed	1965–1967	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-140	Unnamed	1967–1969	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-28	Unnamed	1969–1970	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-186	Unnamed	1970–1983	D-class (RFD PB16)
C-509 (D-509)	Oats	1983–1993	C-class	Originally D-509 until reclassified as a C-class
B-590	Wolverson X-Ray	1993–1994	B-class (Atlantic 21)
B-704	Enid Mary	1994–2007	B-class (Atlantic 75)
B-822	Spirit of Friendship	2007–2023	B-class (Atlantic 85)
A-73	Unnamed	2011–2012	Arancia
A-78	Wren	2012–	Arancia
B-937	Florence and Ernest Bowles	2023–	B-class (Atlantic 85)

Op. No.[b]	Reg No.	Class	In Service[1]	Comments
T41	JXR 66	Case LA	1948–1953
T57	NYE 351	Fowler Challenger III	1953–1964
TW03	RLJ 367R	Talus MB-764 County	1992–1996
TW40	P472 PUJ	Talus MB-764 County	1996–2002
TW54Hc	DU02 WEJ	Talus MB4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2002–2009
TW46Hb	V938 EAW	Talus MB4H Hydrostatic (Mk1.5)	2009–2013	The first MkII Bendy
TW28H	N671 UAW	Talus MB4H Hydrostatic (Mk3)	2013–2014
TW19Hc	J120 VNT	Talus MB4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2014–

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