Minehead Lifeboat Station is located on Quay West in Minehead, a seaside resort approximately north-west of Taunton, sitting at the foot of the Exmoor National Park, overlooking the Bristol Channel, in the county of Somerset, England.

A lifeboat was first stationed in the town in 1901, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Penny J II (B-939), on station since 2023, and the smaller Inshore lifeboat, Exmoor Belle (D847), on station since 2020.

History On the evening of 12 January 1899, the lifeboat was involved in an epic service, with a team of over 20 horses dragging the 10-ton lifeboat and carriage over Exmoor, a distance of , climbing and descending over , before launching at Porlock Weir on 13 December, to the aid of the three-masted-ship Forest Hall.

In the months following this service, questions were inevitably raised regarding the lack of lifeboat cover for the area. The towns of Watchet and Minehead were visited by the Chief Inspector of Lifeboats, and following his report to the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 11 October 1900, it was decided to establish a lifeboat station at Minehead, "there being sufficient men available for manning and launching the boat, in order to strengthen the Life-boat Service on the coast of Somerset."

A new boathouse was constructed, on a suitable site granted by Mr Geoffrey F. Luttrell, Lord of the manor, at a cost of £803-11s. A new non-self-righting Liverpool-class 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (12) oars, arrived on station in 1901. The cost of the lifeboat and its equipment was provided by the legacy of Miss Leicester of Bayswater, and in accordance with her wishes, was named George Leicester (ON 477).

For two years the boat was launched across the beach using skids, but from 1903 a carriage was provided.

In 1939, the station's pulling and sailing boat was withdrawn and replaced by a motor lifeboat. The boat was a lightweight lifeboat, one of nine constructed for stations where launching heavier boats was more difficult. Instead of relying on horses or manpower to launch the boat, a Clayton launch tractor was also sent to the station.

The Surf-class lifeboat was also unusual, as instead of standard propellers, the twin Weyburn 'F2' 12-hp engines provided drive to two Gill water jet propulsion units, delivering , and a range of at full speed. Costing £3,478, and funded by the legacy of Miss Kate Greatorex of Mytton Hall, Shrewsbury, at a ceremony on 26 July 1939, with over 3000 people in attendance, Mrs G. F. Luttrell named the new lifeboat Kate Greatorex (ON 816).

On 18 December 1941, the local naval officer reported wreckage in the mud at Blue Anchor Bay, to be investigated. Lifeboat coxswain John Slade set out in his own boat The Mouette, accompanied by fireman, and lifeboat shore signalman, Thomas Escott. What was thought to be part of an aircraft, turned out to be a parachute mine, which exploded as the men went closer to inspect, killing them both. Slade and Escott were Minehead's only direct fatalities of enemy action.

In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies. Gradually more Inshore lifeboats were deployed, with a (D-177) being placed at Minehead in April 1970, and housed in the tractor garage.

Following a coastal review, the All-weather lifeboat B. H. M. H. (ON 882) was withdrawn on 20 May 1973. The following year, a second Inshore lifeboat arrived. The Inshore lifeboat (C-500) was a twin-engined development of the lifeboat. After five years service, the C-class was replaced by the much larger twin-engined RIB, Catherine Plumbley (B-544), which would serve at Minehead for the following 15 years.

The building was modified again in 1993, to accommodate a new lifeboat, Bessie (B-708), and the opportunity was taken to modernise the crew facilities and add a gift shop alongside.

Minehead was the first RNLI station to use a Tooltrak tractor to launch its D-class lifeboat. This replaced an older Argocat tractor in 2011.

Notable rescues On 2 July 1972, Helm David James scaled Culver cliff to rescue a man stuck above sea-level. The D-class anchor rope was used to help lower the man. James received a "Framed Letter of Thanks signed by Chairman of the Institution".

In 1973, four children were cut-off by the tide at Dunster Beach. PC Timothy Marsh swam to assist two other holiday makers, who had waded out, and were holding the children above the water, and managed to rope them all together. The lifeboat launched in under two minutes, and all seven, along with another child, who had set out in a dingy to assist, but had himself been capsized, were rescued. The three men ware each awarded the Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum.

On 13 September 1975, the three crew of the lifeboat launched at 23:35 into gale-force conditions, and saved the lives of three people from the yacht Svea. Helm Christopher Rundle was accorded "The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum", with Vellum Service Certificates presented to crew members Peter McGregor and Albert Hartgen.

Station extension

Fundraising started in 2021, to modernise the facilities and to enlarge the boat house, so that both lifeboats could be launched more quickly.

The stone-built boat house is situated at the western end of the town beyond the harbour, where there is access to water at all states of the tide.

There is a hard standing in front of the boat house but boats are taken down the pebble beach when launched. Due to the nature of the beach, both launch vehicles are track laying vehicles.

A small detached garage behind the main boathouse was demolished, and the original boat house has been sympathetically extended, with an attached garage at the back, and a gift shop for fund-raising on the west side.

Area of operation The can be launched in Force 7 winds (Force 6 at night) and can operate at up to for 2½ hours. Adjacent lifeboats are at Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station to the west, and Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat Station to the east. If a larger all-weather boat is needed in the area, it may come from Ilfracombe or across the Bristol Channel from .

Station honours The following are awards made at Minehead:

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by Chairman of the Institution David James, Helm – 1972

Testimonial on Vellum, awarded by the Royal Humane Society PC Timothy Marsh – 1974 A. G. Wakeford – 1974 Unknown member of public – 1974

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Christopher Rundle, Helm – 1975

Vellum Service Certificate Peter S. McGregor, crew member – 1975 Albert J. Hartgen, crew member – 1975

Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Minehead lifeboat:

Suffered from exposure whilst on service in 1910, and died the following year William Porter Slade, crew member (34)

Killed by a parachute mine whilst investigating wreckage, 18 December 1941 John Slade, Coxswain (56) Thomas Escott, shore signalman (46)

Minehead lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 1901–1927 477 1901 x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Miss Leicester of Bayswater, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £967.Sold 1927. 1927–1930 494 Reserve No. 9F 1902 35-foot Liverpool (P&S) x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr S. W. Hopwood of Westminster, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £817.Previously named Hopwood at . Transferred to the reserve fleet in 1924. Sold 1930. Renamed Aurora, later Gladrian. Last reported converted as a yacht on the River Thames at Chelsea, June 1977. 1930–1939 626 Arthur Lionel 1912 35-foot Liverpool (P&S) x (12-oared) Liverpool-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Sir Thomas Tobin of Ballincollig, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1170.Previously stationed at . Sold 1939. Renamed Dorian Rose, later John Briscoe. Last reported at Fishguard, August 1973.

Motor lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 1939–1951 816 1939 Sold 1952. Renamed Suann, later Gannet. Awaiting restoration as Kate Greatorex at Migennes in France, December 2024. 1951–1973 882 B. H. M. H. 1951 Transferred to the relief fleet in 1973, then stationed at from 1981. Sold 1984, renamed Kingfisher, later Jensa. Last reported as Queen Eilene on the River Thames at Chiswick, September 2020.

Inshore lifeboats

D-class Op. No. Name Class Comments 1970–1983 D-177 1984–1992 D-295 1992–1999 D-420 Leslie D 1999–2009 D-549 2009–2020 D-712 Christine 2020– Exmoor Belle

C-class and B-class Op. No. Name Class Comments 1974–1979 C-500 The first C-class lifeboat in 1972, it initially carried Op. No. D-500. 1979–1994 B-544 Catherine Plumbley 1994–2007 B-708 Bessie Stationed at until 2012. 2007–2023 B-824 2023– Penny J II

Launch and recovery tractors Op. No. Reg. No. Type Comments 1939–1950 T4 XA 9192 Clayton 1950–1957 T54 KXX 566 Case LA 1957–1964 T39 HYU 16 Case L 1964–1968 T74 136 HLC Case 1000D 1968–1978 T75 AYP 704B Case 1000D 1978–1981 T73 500 GYR Case 1000D 1981–1983 T69 970 FGP Case 1000D 1983–1991 T72 518 GYM Case 1000D 1991–1995 T86 SEL 395R Talus MBC Case 1150B 1995–1998 T85 SEL 394R Talus MBC Case 1150B 1998–2008 T86 SEL 395R Talus MBC Case 1150B 2008–2013 T85 SEL 394R Talus MBC Case 1150B 2011–2012 TT01 WK60 AUW Tooltrak Loglogic 2012–2018 TT09 WA61 HZG Tooltrak Loglogic 2013–2014 T89 WEL 302S Talus MBC Case 1150B 2014–2018 T90 UJT 491X Talus MBC Case 1150B 2018– TT01 WK60 AUW Tooltrak Loglogic 2018–2019 T89 WEL 302S Talus MBC Case 1150B 2019–2023 T91 UAW 558Y Talus MB-H Crawler 2023– T101 D335 SUJ Talus MB-H Crawler

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

References

External links

Minehead RNLI Lifeboat Station