Wells-next-the-Sea Lifeboat Station

Wells-next-the-Sea Lifeboat Station is located at the end of Beach Road, about 1 mi (1.6 km) north of the town of Wells-next-the-Sea, on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk.

Wells-next-the-Sea Lifeboat Station
Wells lifeboat station
Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Architectural style	Steelframe Boathouse with brick and block construction
Location	Wells Lifeboat Station
Address	Beach Road
Town or city	Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1DR
Country	England
Coordinates	52°58′22.4″N 0°51′01.7″E
Opened	1830, RNLI 1869
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Wells-next-the-Sea RNLI Lifeboat Station
Listed Building – Grade II
Feature	Lifeboat house (1869)
Designated	8 September 1993
Reference no.	1277330

A lifeboat was first stationed at Wells-next-the-Sea by the Norfolk Shipwreck Association (NSA) in 1830, closing in 1851. The station was re-established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1869

The station currently operates an Inshore lifeboat, a D-class (IB1) lifeboat Peter Wilcox (D-797), on station since 2016, and the All-weather Shannon-class lifeboat, 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh (Civil Service No.53) (ON 1161), on station since 2023. The newly constructed boathouse (2022) is located at the beach on the western side of Wells Harbour mouth.

History

1800s: earliest rescue services

Early sea rescues in Wells were performed by private citizens who often attempted to use their rescue efforts to claim salvage rights to the rescued vessel for their own profit. The first organised rescue service at Wells was run by the Norfolk Shipwreck Association (NSA) and began in 1830 when an existing unnamed lifeboat that had been at Cromer Lifeboat Station was sent to Wells.

By the 1860s, there was no longer a lifeboat stationed at Wells, and the NSA operation had fallen into decline. At the same time, maritime incidents off the shores of North Norfolk were rising. In 1868 the residents of Wells partnered with the newly formed RNLI to set up an organised lifeboat service in the town. A boathouse was constructed on the Wells quay to accommodate a self-righting RNLI lifeboat, the RNLB Eliza Adams. The station officially opened in 1869 and was used until 1895, when the station was relocated to be closer to the open sea. The old boathouse at the harbour is still standing; a Grade II listed building, it is used jointly as the Harbour Masters Office and a maritime museum.

1880s: Wells lifeboat disaster and Emma rescue

Main article: Wells lifeboat disaster

On 29 October 1880, the 171-ton brig Ocean Queen was caught in a gale and sought shelter at Wells-next-the-Sea. At 1:00 pm, the Eliza Adams launched to the aid of another brig, the Sharon Rose, which had run ashore on the beach at nearby Holkham. Seven sailors were rescued and the lifeboat returned to Wells, where it discovered the Ocean Queen close to the harbour entrance, flying a distress flag. After a partial crew change, the Eliza Adams returned to sea to assist the Ocean Queen, which had been driven ashore nearby. The lifeboat was unable to assist and returned to port, but was swamped by a large wave en route and capsized; 11 of the lifeboat's 13 crewmen drowned. The crew of the Ocean Queen remained aboard their vessel, and were able to walk ashore once the storm had abated and the tide receded.

On 4 October 1883, a gale blew the schooner Emma of Jersey onto the East Bar near Wells, stranding her. Wells lifeboat RNLB Charlotte Nicholls was launched to assist. The Emma was heavily damaged, so the Charlotte Nicholls took her five crewmen back to Wells.

1890s: new location

By the 1890s, it had become evident that the location of the 1869 boathouse was problematic. At low water the lifeboat could not get out into the open sea and was overly reliant on the tide. In 1893, the lifeboat RNLB Baltic (ON 198) was launched for three rescues, but arrived too late to provide actual assistance at any of them. Construction began on a new station 1.2 miles (1.9 km) north of the existing station in 1894 and was completed in October 1895. The Baltic (ON 198) was replaced by a vessel bearing the same name, the RNLB Baltic (ON 375).

1930s–1970s: motor and inshore lifeboats

The Surf-class motor lifeboat RNLB Royal Silver Jubilee (ON 780) was the first motor lifeboat at Wells

Although motor lifeboats had been available since at least 1911, Wells was not provided with one until 1936 because of the need for an appropriate boat launch. The station received a Surf-class lifeboat, the RNLB Royal Silver Jubilee (ON 780), which had been designed by James Barnett and was light enough for the beach launch required at Wells. She was also the first Surf-class to be propelled by a basic water jet system, which was ideal for the shallow water at Wells.

By the mid-1960s, the North Norfolk coast had seen an increased use of marine incidents resulting from pleasure boating and beachgoing. A D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat (D-11) was placed at Wells in 1963.

Over 18 and 19 May 1963, the cabin cruiser Seamu had run aground at low tide at the entrance to Blakeney harbour. The Cecil Paine was launched to assist, arriving on scene at 10:50 pm. Seas were rough and winds were high. The coxswain made several attempts to approach, but sandbanks and high winds made it difficult. After four attempts, the two crewmen of the Seamu were finally taken aboard the Cecil Paine to safety. The coxswain was awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal.

RNLB Ernest Tom Neathercoat (ON 982), service dates 1965–1990

Until 1976, the inshore service was provided by a series of unnamed D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboats. The first inshore boat at Wells to have a name was RNLB Spirit of Rotary (D-246), which was on the station from 1976 until 1987. In January 1978 a severe storm destroyed the IRB house and damaged the doors to the main boathall. A new IRB house was built onto the side of the main station.

On the morning of 15 February 1979, gale force nine to ten winds were blowing blizzard conditions across the North Sea. The Merchant Vessel Savinesti of Romania had broken down; dragging her anchor, she was in imminent danger of running aground 37 miles (60 km) south-west of Spurn Point. Wells lifeboat Ernest Tom Neathercoat was launched to service that morning, but struggled to make headway through temperatures well below freezing and rough seas which eventually knocked out her radar, MF radio and echo-sounding systems. She eventually arrived and stood by the Savinesti for two hours until the arrival of the Arun-class lifeboat RNLB City of Bradford IV (ON 1052) out of Humber Lifeboat Station, which was to take over the service. By this point, the winds had increased to hurricane force 12, waves were up to 40 feet high, and it was still snowing heavily. At this time the Wells lifeboat was released from the service and sent back to Wells, arriving between 6:00 and 7:00 pm after approximately 11 hours at sea. The coxswain was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal.

1980s–1990s: Station improvements and Mersey-class

The Mersey-class lifeboat RNLB Doris M. Mann of Ampthill (ON 1161) arrived on station in 1990

The 1895 beach road station has been improved and renovated on several occasions, but the bulk of the structure is still original. The crew facilities were expanded with an additional level in 1983, and a boathouse extension was added in 1986 to house the inshore lifeboat.

In 1990 the station was allocated a new Mersey-class lifeboat, the 12-003 Doris M. Mann of Ampthill (ON 1161), prompting significant alterations to the boathouse in order to accommodate it. The house had to be almost completely re-built whilst retaining the historic integrity of the 1895 structure. In the mid 1990s work was also carried out to combat coastal erosion on the sandy headland where the boat house is located. This was achieved by re-using greenheart timbers re-claimed after the demolition of the Eastbourne slipway. Extra new groynes were also installed to retain the beach in front of the station, vital for the continued beach launching of the lifeboats.

2020s: New Boathouse and Shannon-class

A new bigger boathouse was required to house the soon to arrive new Shannon-class lifeboat for Wells-next-the Sea, to be built to the west of the existing boathouse, parts of which are more than 125 years old. Work on the construction of the new boathouse started in September 2020, and was completed in October 2022.

Demolition of the 1895 boathouse soon followed in November 2022.

Part funded by a successful local campaign in 2014–2015 and part by the Civil Service charity The Lifeboat Fund, Shannon-class 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh (Civil Service No.53) (ON 1353) arrived at Wells-next-the-Sea in October 2022, replacing Doris M. Mann of Ampthill (ON 1161) in early 2023.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Wells-next-the-Sea

• RNLI Silver Medal

David James Cox, Coxswain - 1979

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Francis Robert Taylor, DSM, Second Coxswain - 1963

David James Cox, Coxswain - 1982

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

T Neilsen, Coxswain - 1942

William Cox, Coxswain - 1955

David J Cox, Coxswain - 1964

Albert Court, Motor Mechanic - 1971

David J Cox, Coxswain - 1973

Allen Frary, Coxswain - 2001

Robert Smith, Second Coxswain - 2001

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

The Coxswain and Crew - 1966

David J Cox BEM, Coxswain - 1983

Graham Walker, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1992

James Case, crew member - 1992

Graham Walker, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1993

Allen Frary, Second Coxswain - 1993

All the all-weather lifeboat crew and shore helpers - 1996

Allen Frary, Coxswain/Mechanic - 2003

• British Empire Medal

David James Cox - 1981

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Philip Eaglen - 2021

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Wells-next-the-Sea lifeboat.

• Lost when the lifeboat Eliza Adams capsized on service to the brig Ocean Queen, 29 October 1880.

Francis Abel

John Elsdon

Robert William Elsdon

William Field

Williams Green

Charles Hines

George Jay

Charles Smith

Samuel Smith

John Stacey

William Wordingham

Wells-next-the-Sea lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON	Op. No.	Name	In service	Class	Comments
–	–	Unnamed	1830–1850	North Country type, pulling
Pre-525	–	Eliza Adams	1869–1880	33-foot Self-Righting (P&S)
Pre-658	–	Charlotte Nicholls	1880–1888	37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)
198	–	Baltic	1888–1895	37-foot Self-Righting (P&S)
375	–	Baltic	1895–1913	35-foot 3in Cromer
425	–	James Stevens No. 8	1913–1916	Liverpool (P&S)
665	–	Baltic	1916–1936	Liverpool (P&S)
780	–	Royal Silver Jubilee	1936–1945	Surf
850	–	Cecil Paine	1945–1965	Liverpool
832	–	Lucy Lavers	1962 1963–1964	Liverpool	(Relief fleet)
982	37-15	Ernest Tom Neathercoat	1965–1990	Oakley
961	37-03	Calouste Gulbenkian	1978–1979 1983 1987–1988	Oakley	(Relief fleet)
1161	12-003	Doris M. Mann of Ampthill	1990–2023	Mersey
1124	12-001	Peggy and Alex Caird	1998	Mersey	(Relief fleet)
1162	12-004	Royal Shipwright	2003	Mersey	(Relief fleet)
1353	13-46	Duke of Edinburgh (Civil Service No.53)	2023–	Shannon

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

Op. No.	Name	In service	Class	Comments
D-11	Unnamed	1963–1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-9	Unnamed	1964–1965	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-29	Unnamed	1965	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-8	Unnamed	1965–1966	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-82	Unnamed	1966–1968	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-25	Unnamed	1968–1969	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-113	Unnamed	1969–1976	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-246	Spirit of Rotary	1976–1987	D-class (Zodiac III)
D-352	Jane Ann	1988–1996	D-class (EA16)
D-512	Jane Ann II	1996–2006	D-class (EA16)
D-661	Jane Ann III	2006–2016	D-class (IB1)
D-797	Peter Wilcox	2016–	D-class (IB1)

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No.	Reg. No.	Type	In service	Comments
T19	TY 2547	Clayton	1936–1939
T32	FYE 221	Case L	1939–1954
T59	FYE 221	Fowler Challenger III	1954–1969
T68	YUV 742	Fowler Challenger III	1969–1974
T67	YLD 792	Fowler Challenger III	1974–1979
T63	PXF 163	Fowler Challenger III	1979–1983
T72	518 GYM	Case 1000D	1983
T60	OXO 323	Fowler Challenger III	1983–1985
T99	C82 NUX	Talus MB-H Crawler	1986–1993
T91	UAW 558Y	Talus MB-H Crawler	1993–1995
T99	C82 NUX	Talus MB-H Crawler	1995–2006
T96	B688 HUJ	Talus MB-H Crawler	2006–2023
SC-T27	HF22 BWJ	SLARS (Clayton)	2022–	Patricia Jean Bettany

Gallery

• 
  Wells-next-the-Sea first lifeboat station, now used as the Harbour Masters Office and a Maritime Museum. It is a Grade II listed building.
• 
  Liverpool-class motor lifeboat RNLB Cecil Paine (ON 850) on station between 1945 and 1965.
• 
  Liverpool-class motor lifeboat RNLB Lucy Lavers (ON 832) on station in 1962 and between 1963 and 1964.
• 
  Restored Oakley-class motor lifeboat RNLB Ernest Tom Neathercoat (ON 982) pictured in 2018.
• 
  Memorial: Wells lifeboat disaster of 29 October 1880.

See also

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