Burry Port Lifeboat Station (near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales) was first opened in 1887, the cost of the station defrayed from a legacy bequeathed by the late Mrs J. S. Barclay of Edmonton, London, and in accordance with her wishes, the boat was named David Barclay of Tottenham (ON110), after her late husband.[1]
| Burry Port Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) Burry Port Lifeboat Station | |
  Burry Port, Carmarthenshire | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | The Harbour |
| Town or city | Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, SA16 0ER |
| Country | Wales, UK |
| Coordinates | 51°40′45″N 4°14′55″W / 51.67926°N 4.24858°W |
| Opened | 1887 |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website | |
| Burry Port RNLI Lifeboat Station | |
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) had taken over a lifeboat station at Llanelli in 1854, 2 years after it opened, but decided to close the station, and relocate the lifeboat operations to Pembrey in 1863. However, due to a constant increase of sand at Pembrey, it was necessary to move once again, this time to Burry Port.[1]
Reopening in 1973, the station currently operates a D-class (IB1) named Williams & Cole (D-882), and a B-class (Atlantic 85) named The Misses Barrie (B-915)/[2]
History
editBurry Port Lifeboat Station opened in 1887 after moving twice in the previous 30 years. The station was previously allocated a 32-foot-long (9.8 m), 10-oar lifeboat named Stanton Meyrick of Pimlico which operated until 1886, when the boathouse was also abandoned due to operational issues in launching and recovering at that site.[2]
A new boathouse was built on the eastern side of Burry Port Harbour in 1887 to replace it, and up until the station closed in 1914, operated three different lifeboats, all named David Barclay of Tottenham, saving a total of 34 lives.
In 1914, the station was closed, as it was considered there was ample coverage for the estuary from flank stations.
In 1973, due to an increase in drowning incidents in Carmarthen Bay, the RNLI decided to reopen the station, and allocated a D-class lifeboat.[2]
In 2002 a Coast review acknowledged the need for a larger craft to complement the existing D-class lifeboat and decided that a B-class (Atlantic 75) lifeboat would also be stationed here.
Following the delivery of the Atlantic 75 in 2010, which was housed in a temporary building, the dire need for a new boathouse to accommodate both boats under one roof was identified.
It would also offer, better volunteer facilities, increased capacity for school and group visits, a visitor experience with a shop and would be easier to manage. It would also be large enough to house a new Atlantic 85-class, a larger and more capable boat than the existing Atlantic 75.
Plans were drawn up and in Sept 2019 the new facility was officially opened and the new Atlantic 85 commissioned. The new building was designed by Llanelli Architects, Lewis Partnership Ltd.
Burry Port lifeboats
editAll-weather lifeboats
edit| ON[a] | Name | In service[3] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-559 | Stanton Meyrick of Pimlico (Pembrey) |
1871–1887 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | (10-oar lifeboat) |
| 110 | David Barclay of Tottenham | 1887–1897 | 37-foot 2in Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 262 | David Barclay of Tottenham | 1897–1903 | 37-foot 1in Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 296 | David Barclay of Tottenham | 1903–1914 | 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
- Station Closed in 1914
- Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.
Inshore lifeboats
editD-class
edit| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-220 | Unnamed | 1973–1986 | D-class (RFD PB16) | Donated by Tiverton Swimming Club[4] |
| D-331 | Dorothy Way | 1987–1994 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-472 | Kip & Kath | 1994–2003 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-611 | The Young Watsons | 2003–2011 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-749 | Diane Hilary | 2011–2023 | D-class (IB1) | |
| D-882 | Williams & Cole | 2023– | D-class (IB1) |
B-class
edit| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[2] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-768 | Blue Peter II | 2010–2011 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-731 | Dorothy Selina | 2011–2014 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-777 | Leicester Challenge II | 2014–2018 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-915 | The Misses Barrie | 2019– | Atlantic 85 | [5] |
Launch and recovery tractors
edit| Op. No.[b] | Reg. No. | Type | In service[2] | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TW44 | S193 RUJ | Talus MB-764 County | 2010–2018 | |
| TW32 | L161 LAW | Talus MB-764 County | 2018–2020 | |
| TW14 | D659 TNT | Talus MB-764 County | 2020–2022 | |
| TW09 | PEL 169W | Talus MB-764 County | 2022– |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Burry Port's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–120.
- ^ "Sponsored Sea Swim In August". The Lifeboat. 46 (466). 1978. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "Saturday 14 September marks a historic day for Burry Port Lifeboat Station". RNLI. Retrieved 6 September 2019.