Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station is located at the head of the harbour in Ilfracombe, a seaside resort overlooking the entrance to the Bristol Channel, on the north-west corner of the county of Devon, England.
The first lifeboat at Ilfracombe was operated by local committee from 1828, part funded by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS). A new boat was provided by the Ilfracombe Lifeboat Association in 1850, but in 1866, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) re-established the lifeboat station at Ilfracombe.
The station currently operates the Inshore lifeboat Patrick and Dianne O'Connor (B-957), on station since 2026, and a Inshore lifeboat (ILB) Deborah Brown III (D-863), on station since 2022.
History In 1828, Mr J. V. Lee of Ilfracombe wrote to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), the organisation which became the RNLI in 1854, requesting help towards the modification of a pilot boat, to be used at Ilfracombe as a lifeboat. The RNIPLS agreed to funds not exceeding £28, which turned out to be £13-12s, after the work was carried out. No records of any service are available, although there are reports of a rescue on 1 April 1838, with the RNIPLS awarding 10 shillings to each of the crew of the rescue boat.
Many early lifeboats came to the end of their operational life in the 1840s, and were not replaced, coming just at the time when the RNIPLS was in decline and struggling for funds. A new lifeboat, built by Thomas and White of Cowes, was provided to Ilfracombe in 1850, by the newly formed Ilfracombe Lifeboat Association. The boat was named Lady Franklin, thought to be after the wife of explorer Sir John Franklin, and operated from a boat house at the corner of Hierns Lane near the harbour. Again, no records of any service have been found.
By 1864, the Lady Franklin was reported as unserviceable. In 1865, Mr Nathaniel Vye, and several other influential locals, wrote to a now revitalised RNLI, asking that a lifeboat station be established at Ilfracombe. The request was agreed. In 1866, a new boathouse was constructed at a cost of £222-15s, on a site provided by Sir Bourchier Wrey, at the foot of Lantern Hill. A new self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with both sails and (10) oars, was dispatched to Ilfracombe, transported free of charge to Barnstaple by the London and South Western Railway. Nathaniel Vye was appointed as Honorary Secretary, with George Williams appointed as coxswain.
The cost of the new lifeboat and carriage was the gift of Robert Broadwater of Hornsea Rise Prior to being transported to Ilfracombe, the boat was rowed from Forrestt's boatyard at Limehouse, to Greenwich, where Mr Broadwater was celebrating his 50th birthday. On 14 November 1866, the lifeboat was formally named Broadwater.
At 19:00 on 19 March 1869, the Italian barque Drago was reported in trouble off Morte Point. The Ilfracombe lifeboat Broadwater finally got away at the third attempt, launching at 10:30 the following day, followed by four hours hard rowing in rough seas to reach the casualty vessel. All 15 crew plus a pilot, were rescued, with the lifeboat towed back to Ilfracombe by steam tug.
As a result of the service to the Drago, and the rowing distance required to cover a stretch of coastline notorious for shipwreck, the Ilfracombe branch requested that an additional lifeboat be placed nearer Morte Point. Morte Bay Lifeboat Station (later renamed Morthoe Lifeboat Station) was established in 1871, but with few local residents, it was agreed that Ilfracombe would supply the crew when required. Extra men were enrolled at Ilfracombe, in case both boats were required. Former coxswain George Williams was appointed as caretaker of the new station.
Alterations to the pier in 1871 meant that the slipway was lost, and the boat then had to be taken along the road to the harbour whenever it was needed. The 1866 boathouse was demolished in 1893, and a new larger building was constructed for the new lifeboat, Co-operator No. 2 (ON 355), which at , was 3-feet longer than the previous boat.
The first motor lifeboat at Ilfracombe was placed on station in March 1936. This was a lifeboat, a type that was designed for work close inshore. It was replaced by a more conventional boat in 1945. The Surf boat was sent to the Netherlands, where there was an acute shortage of lifeboats at the end of World War II.
In 1991, a Inshore lifeboat (D-336) was placed at Ilfracombe on a trial basis for one season. The Inshore boat was made a permanent asset on 27 November, following a decision by the executive committee.
The 1893 boathouse was modified in 1990 to accommodate the new lifeboat 12-007 Spirit of Derbyshire (ON 1165), but in 1996, a new boathouse was constructed at the head of the harbour. Not only providing updated crew facilities, and housing both the All-weather and Inshore lifeboats, it was sited directly in front of the harbour slipway, allowing much faster launch times.
2000 would see the arrival of the Inshore lifeboat Deborah Brown (D-555), funded by a special appeal organised by Mr Paul Brown of London, in memory of his wife Deborah. This would be the first of now three lifeboats provided by the same fund, with Deborah Brown III (D-863) arriving on service in 2022.
After serving Ilfracombe for 25 years, Spirit of Derbyshire was withdrawn to the relief fleet in 2015, replaced with a state-of-the-art lifeboat, 13-09 The Barry and Peggy High Foundation (ON 1316).
On 2 October 2025, the RNLI announced that following a national review of service calls, the Shannon-class lifeboat at Ilfracombe will be reallocated to a different station in 2026/27, and be replaced with an Inshore lifeboat.
The Inshore lifeboat Patrick and Dianne O'Connor (B-957) arrived on station on Thursday 18 June 2026, and after a period of training, replaced the lifeboat on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Notable service On 13 November 1949, in a full north-west gale, and the worst sea conditions for many years, the SS Monte Gurugu, on passage for Genoa from Newport with a cargo of coal and a crew of 37, broke her rudder off Morte Point, sending out an SOS at 05:00. In a joint service with lifeboats from and , the Ilfracombe lifeboat Richard Silver Oliver (ON 794) was launched, the coxswain using all his years of experience to navigate the coast. An empty lifeboat was found by the Appledore lifeboat, who then managed to pick up one survivor. On arrival on scene, the Ilfracombe lifeboat managed to tow the vessel clear of the shore, and then took aboard the 23 remaining crew. Coxswain Cecil Irwin was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.
On the afternoon of 7 June 1975, whilst rowing his new dinghy, 14-year-old Scout Martin Ruddy spotted a group of people on a sinking speedboat waving for help. After rowing half a mile out to sea, despite dangerous cross currents and rocks, he reached the vessel after 20 minutes, and rescued four people and a dog. In a rare award to non-lifeboat crew, Martin Ruddy was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal.
In a Force 8 gale on 9 September 1984, the yacht Liberty was dragging her anchor just from the shore when the Lloyds II reached her. The lifeboat's crew managed to get a line secured to the yacht and towed her into the harbour. The RNLI Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain David Clemence for his courage, leadership and seamanship.
Area of operation The lifeboat at Ilfracombe has an operating range of and a top speed of . Adjacent All-weather lifeboats are stationed at to the West, and to the North, along with a Inshore lifeboat at to the East.
Station honours The following are awards made at Ilfracombe: RNLI Silver Medal Capt. C. Gray-Jones, RN, Second Assistant Inspector of Lifeboats – 1875 (Second-Service clasp) Cecil G. Irwin, Coxswain – 1950 Silver Prize Medal, awarded by the Spanish Society for Saving the Shipwrecked Cecil G. Irwin, Coxswain – 1950 RNLI Bronze Medal Martin Ruddy, Scout (14) – 1975 David Clemence, Coxswain – 1984 Medal Service Certificate Colin D. Thadwald, Second Coxswain – 1984 Wayland Smith, Motor Mechanic – 1984 John W. Fennell, Assistant Mechanic – 1984 Andrew P. Bengey, crew member – 1984 David P. Clemence, crew member – 1984 Maurice J. Woodger, crew member – 1984 Diploma of Merit, awarded by the Spanish Society for Saving the Shipwrecked Ilfracombe Lifeboat Crew – 1950 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' Andrew Putt, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1994 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' David Clemence, Coxswain – 1981 Andrew Bengey, Coxswain – 2000 'A Letter of Thanks signed by the Director of the Institution' Leigh Hanks, Mechanic – 2000 Martin Embrey, crew member – 2000 'A Letter of Thanks signed by the Chief of Operations of the Institution' Ilfracombe Lifeboat Crew – 2000 British Empire Medal Edward George Williams, Coxswain – 1971
Roll of honour In memory of those lost while serving at Ilfracombe: Lost whilst trying to rescue the crew of the ketch Arabella in their own boat, 2 October 1895 Richard Souch, Rtd. Lifeboatman (61) Frederick William Souch, Lifeboatman (25)
Ilfracombe lifeboats Ilfracombe Lifeboat Association On station ON Name Built Class Comments 1828–c.1843 — 1828 Lifeboat Boat of unknown dimensions or manufacturer, costing £13-12s-0d.Pilot boat fitted to work as a lifeboat. 1850–c.1864 — Lady Franklin 1850 32-foot Whale Boat x (12-oared) non-self-righting whale-boat, funded by the Ilfracombe LB Association, built by White of Cowes, costing £144.Sold in 1864.
RNLI Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 1866–1886 Broadwater 1866 32-foot Prowse self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) Prowse-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Mr R. Broadwater of Hornsey Rise, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £240.Broken up in 1886. 1886–1893 53 Co-operator No. 2 1886 34-foot self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Manchester Central Co-operative Society, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £297.Used as a demonstration lifeboat from 1893 until 1907. Broken up in 1907. 1893–1920 355 1893 37-foot self-righting (P&S) x (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Manchester Central Co-operative Society, built by Shuttleworth of Erith, costing £460.Sold in 1920 1920–1936 596 Richard Crawley 1910 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr R. Crawley of Southampton, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1167.Previously at until 1918. Sold in 1936. Renamed Good Hope, later Fionnuala. Believed broken up at Lough Neagh, December 2007. Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.
Motor lifeboats ON Op.No. Name Built Class Comments 1936–1945 779 — Rosabella 1936 1945–1952 794 — Richard Silver Oliver 1937 Previously at and . Transferred to . 1952–1966 904 — Robert and Phemia Brown 1952 1966–1990 986 37-19 Lloyds II 1966 Transferred to . 1990–2015 1165 1990 2015–2026 1316 13-09 The Barry and Peggy High Foundation 2015 All-weather lifeboat withdrawn, 19 September 2026. More post-service details can be found on the respective lifeboat class pages.
Inshore lifeboats D class Op.No. Name Class Comments 1991 D-334 Entered service in the relief fleet in 1987. 1992–2000 D-422 Alec Dykes Saw further service at and in the RNLI relief fleet but was withdrawn from service in 2009. 2000–2009 D-555 Deborah Brown Transferred to the RNLI relief fleet in 2009. 2009–2020 D-717 Deborah Brown II Transferred to be the boarding boat. 2021–2022 D-812 From the relief fleet 2022– D-863 Deborah Brown III Previously Lizzie Hook in the relief fleet.
B class Op.No. Name Class Comments 2026 B-921 Vivacious Atlantic Training boat from the relief fleet 2026–
Launch and recovery tractors