Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Lynmouth, Devon in England from 1869 until 1944. Its best known action was in 1899 when the lifeboat was taken 15 miles (24 km) across Exmoor before being launched to assist a ship in trouble.
The Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall which is the same shape and in the same location as the former lifeboat station
Lynmouth is on the north coast of Devon facing the Bristol Channel. In the nineteenth century this was a busy waterway carrying ships to ports such as Cardiff and Bristol. A lifeboat station was established in the town on 20 January 1869, five months after the nearby wreck of the sailing vessel Home. The lifeboat was kept in a shed on the beach until a purpose-built boat house was built at the harbour. This was rebuilt in 1898 and enlarged in 1906–07.[1]
The RNLI introduced motor lifeboats to the area in the 1930s. Ilfracombe, the station to the west, received theirs in 1936 and Minehead, to the east, in 1939.[2] These boats were able to serve the whole of the Exmoor coast and so Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was closed at the end of 1944. The boat house was then used as a club but was washed away in the Lynmouth flood of 15 August 1952. It has since been rebuilt and includes a public shelter.[1]
Launch from Porlock Weiredit
The Forrest Hall, a 1,900 ton three-masted ship with thirteen crew and five apprentices sailing down the channel from Bristol, got into trouble several miles east of Lynmouth on the evening of 12 January 1899. A severe gale had been blowing all day. She was being towed but lost her rudder and the rope broke; it looked as though she might be blown onto the shore.[1] At 19:52 a telegram reporting the problem was received at Lynmouth. The storm prevented a launch from the harbour so the Coxswain, Jack Crowcombe, proposed that the lifeboat be taken over land to Porlock Weir so that it could be launched there instead. This would entail a journey of 15 miles (24 km) and a climb of 1,423 feet (434 m).[3]
Louisa was 34 feet (10 m) long[1] and weighed 10 tons on its carriage. Six men were sent ahead to widen some parts of the road that were too narrow while about 100 people,[4] helped by 18 horses from Lynton, hauled the boat up the 1 in 4 (25%) Countisbury Hill. The carriage had to be repaired at one point when a wheel came off. At the top of the hill they took refreshments at the Blue Ball Inn then most of the people including the women and children turned back,[5] leaving just 20 men to control the boat as it descended another 1 in 4 hill down into Porlock. More horses were obtained from local farmers to bring the team up to about 20 (although four died during the journey).[6] At Porlock the road was too narrow because of a wall but the owner let the men take down the corner of the house so that they could pass. Lower down a road had been washed away by the sea so a detour was necessary. The lifeboat finally reached the sea at 06:30 on 13 January.[3]
The crew launched straight away. After their 11-hour journey across Exmoor, they now had to row for an hour into the storm to reach the Forrest Hall which was anchored close to Hurlstone Point. The lifeboat stood by – the crew rowing continuously to hold a safe position – until daylight when two tugs arrived and managed to get a new rope across. Some of the lifeboatmen went on board to help raise the anchors as the crew were too tired to do it themselves. The tugs took the ship across the channel to Barry, accompanied by the Louisa and the Lynmouth lifeboat volunteers in case there were further problems.[3] They finally arrived in port at about 05:00 on 14 January.[6] The lifeboat crew were towed back to Lynmouth by a steam ship.[5]
The journey was re-enacted in daylight on 12 January 1999. The roads had been improved in the intervening hundred years, but the weather was similarly poor.[3]
Another re-enactment was planned for 13 January 2024.[7]
Lifeboatsedit
The Docea Chapman is displayed at Lynmouth as a reminder of the Louisa and other Lynmouth lifeboats
'ON' is the RNLI's sequential Official Number. All boats were of the self-righting type.
^ abcdefLeach, Nicholas (2009). Devon's Lifeboat Heritage. Chacewater: Twelveheads Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN978-0-906294-72-7.
^Denton, Tony (2009). LBES Members' Handbook 2009. Shrewsbury: Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 60.
^ abcdFisher, E.J. (1999). "The Strange and Heroic Journey of the Louisa". Lerwill Life. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
^"History". Minehead Lifeboat Station. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
^ ab"Tom Richards". Oral history recordings. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
^ abStory, Bob (2008). "Lynmouth Overland Lifeboat Rescue". Retrieved 5 November 2010.
^"125th anniversary of lifeboat hauled over Exmoor to rescue stricken ship off Porlock". Somerset County Gazette. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
lynmouth, lifeboat, station, base, royal, national, lifeboat, institution, rnli, search, rescue, operations, lynmouth, devon, england, from, 1869, until, 1944, best, known, action, 1899, when, lifeboat, taken, miles, across, exmoor, before, being, launched, as. Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI search and rescue operations at Lynmouth Devon in England from 1869 until 1944 Its best known action was in 1899 when the lifeboat was taken 15 miles 24 km across Exmoor before being launched to assist a ship in trouble Lynmouth Lifeboat StationLynmouthGeneral informationTypeRNLI Lifeboat StationLocationDevonCountryUnited KingdomCoordinates51 13 51 N 3 49 52 W 51 2309 N 3 8312 W 51 2309 3 8312Opened1867 Contents 1 History 2 Launch from Porlock Weir 3 Lifeboats 4 ReferencesHistory edit nbsp The Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall which is the same shape and in the same location as the former lifeboat station Lynmouth is on the north coast of Devon facing the Bristol Channel In the nineteenth century this was a busy waterway carrying ships to ports such as Cardiff and Bristol A lifeboat station was established in the town on 20 January 1869 five months after the nearby wreck of the sailing vessel Home The lifeboat was kept in a shed on the beach until a purpose built boat house was built at the harbour This was rebuilt in 1898 and enlarged in 1906 07 1 The RNLI introduced motor lifeboats to the area in the 1930s Ilfracombe the station to the west received theirs in 1936 and Minehead to the east in 1939 2 These boats were able to serve the whole of the Exmoor coast and so Lynmouth Lifeboat Station was closed at the end of 1944 The boat house was then used as a club but was washed away in the Lynmouth flood of 15 August 1952 It has since been rebuilt and includes a public shelter 1 Launch from Porlock Weir editThe Forrest Hall a 1 900 ton three masted ship with thirteen crew and five apprentices sailing down the channel from Bristol got into trouble several miles east of Lynmouth on the evening of 12 January 1899 A severe gale had been blowing all day She was being towed but lost her rudder and the rope broke it looked as though she might be blown onto the shore 1 At 19 52 a telegram reporting the problem was received at Lynmouth The storm prevented a launch from the harbour so the Coxswain Jack Crowcombe proposed that the lifeboat be taken over land to Porlock Weir so that it could be launched there instead This would entail a journey of 15 miles 24 km and a climb of 1 423 feet 434 m 3 Louisa was 34 feet 10 m long 1 and weighed 10 tons on its carriage Six men were sent ahead to widen some parts of the road that were too narrow while about 100 people 4 helped by 18 horses from Lynton hauled the boat up the 1 in 4 25 Countisbury Hill The carriage had to be repaired at one point when a wheel came off At the top of the hill they took refreshments at the Blue Ball Inn then most of the people including the women and children turned back 5 leaving just 20 men to control the boat as it descended another 1 in 4 hill down into Porlock More horses were obtained from local farmers to bring the team up to about 20 although four died during the journey 6 At Porlock the road was too narrow because of a wall but the owner let the men take down the corner of the house so that they could pass Lower down a road had been washed away by the sea so a detour was necessary The lifeboat finally reached the sea at 06 30 on 13 January 3 The crew launched straight away After their 11 hour journey across Exmoor they now had to row for an hour into the storm to reach the Forrest Hall which was anchored close to Hurlstone Point The lifeboat stood by the crew rowing continuously to hold a safe position until daylight when two tugs arrived and managed to get a new rope across Some of the lifeboatmen went on board to help raise the anchors as the crew were too tired to do it themselves The tugs took the ship across the channel to Barry accompanied by the Louisa and the Lynmouth lifeboat volunteers in case there were further problems 3 They finally arrived in port at about 05 00 on 14 January 6 The lifeboat crew were towed back to Lynmouth by a steam ship 5 The journey was re enacted in daylight on 12 January 1999 The roads had been improved in the intervening hundred years but the weather was similarly poor 3 Another re enactment was planned for 13 January 2024 7 Lifeboats edit nbsp The Docea Chapman is displayed at Lynmouth as a reminder of the Louisa and other Lynmouth lifeboats ON is the RNLI s sequential Official Number All boats were of the self righting type ON Name At Lynmouth Length Comments Henry 1869 1887 30 feet 9 1 m 1 54 Louisa 1887 1906 34 feet 10 4 m 1 558 Pritchard Frederick Gainer 1906 1944 35 feet 10 7 m Reported as cabin cruiser at Bedford in 2007 8 moved to Felixstowe Ferry in 2009 as a house boat References edit a b c d e f Leach Nicholas 2009 Devon s Lifeboat Heritage Chacewater Twelveheads Press pp 49 50 ISBN 978 0 906294 72 7 Denton Tony 2009 LBES Members Handbook 2009 Shrewsbury Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society p 60 a b c d Fisher E J 1999 The Strange and Heroic Journey of the Louisa Lerwill Life Retrieved 5 November 2010 History Minehead Lifeboat Station Retrieved 19 November 2010 a b Tom Richards Oral history recordings Somerset County Council Retrieved 30 November 2010 a b Story Bob 2008 Lynmouth Overland Lifeboat Rescue Retrieved 5 November 2010 125th anniversary of lifeboat hauled over Exmoor to rescue stricken ship off Porlock Somerset County Gazette 10 January 2024 Retrieved 12 January 2024 Denton 2009 pp 8 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lynmouth Lifeboat Station amp oldid 1195231963, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
