The Lizard Lifeboat Station

The Lizard Lifeboat Station refers to several Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboat stations located on the Lizard in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The first was established at the southernmost point of the peninsula in 1859. Since then successive stations have all been in operation at different locations on The Lizard. The current station is located at Kilcobben Cove east of the village of Lizard.OS Explorer Map 103 – Falmouth & Helston. .

The lifeboat stations have all covered the westerly approaches to the English Channel; with up to 400 ships-a-day, it is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The lifeboat service has saved many lives over the past 150 years.

History Polpeor Cove (1859–1961) First station The RNLI established its first lifeboat at the southern tip of The Lizard in 1859. The station, which cost £120 to build, was located atop the cliffs above Polpeor Cove about south of the village of Lizard. It was inaugurated after the 740-ton steamer, Czar, foundered on the Vrogue Rock, off Bass Point on 22 January 1859. The government transport ship was taking ammunition and uniforms to Malta. Fishing crews from Cadgwith and Church Cove saved some of the crew but the captain and his family drowned. Following the tragedy, a Mrs Agar of Lanhydrock donated money to buy the first Lizard Lifeboat (Anna Maria).The Lizard in Landewednack. Lizard History Society.

However the location of the first lifeboat station on the cliff above Polpeor Cove was not ideal as it made launches a long and precarious operation in rough sea and weather. On 2 January 1866 the lifeboat broke up after it was launched on exercise during a storm. It was pushed on to rocks causing the death of its Coxswain Peter Mitchell and crew members Richard Harris and Nicholas Stevens. As a tribute to the loss, the RNLI gave £130 to the local lifeboat fund. (Location: )

Second station

In 1885 a larger station was built above the high-water mark lower down in Polpeor Cove to house a larger lifeboat. The existing smaller craft, Anna Maria (III), was relocated to a new station at Church Cove, just east of Lizard village. (Location: )

Third station

The final lifeboat station within Polpeor Cove was completed in 1914. The large concrete building had an integrated slipway which meant the lifeboat was able to launch directly into the sea. However this could prove hazardous in rough conditions because of the number of rocks in the cove. The exposed position of the station also meant it required a great deal of expense to maintain its general upkeep.

In order to relaunch the lifeboat, a recovery system was used to haul it back into the boat house. First ropes were places around a natural rock pillar in the sea in order to turn the stern of the boat towards land. A giant wheel – at the rear of the station – was then used to winch the boat back up the slipway.

The result of these difficulties meant the RNLI was forced to spend money repairing the station and the lifeboats from time to time. By 1958, with the need to employ larger and faster lifeboats due to the growth in maritime commerce, the RNLI decided to close Polpeor Cove because of its operating limitations. The RNLI eventually chose Kilcobben Cove as it new location for The Lizard Lifeboat station because it was sufficiently protected to allow safe launches in all conditions. Polpeor Cove closed in 1961. (Location: )

Cadgwith (1867–1963) In 1867 the RNLI placed a second lifeboat at the fishing village of Cadgwith on the east side of the Lizard. This service ran until 1963, when it was finally closed. The station was then integrated with the service at The Lizard's Kilcobben Cove. (Location: )

Church Cove (1885–1899)

Church Cove station, which was built at a cost of £300, opened in 1885. It housed the Anna Maria (III) lifeboat from the first station at Polpeor Cove until 1887, when she was replaced with the larger 34ft 2in John and Sarah (ON 47). Church Cove station, which was from the village of Landewednack was used in conjunction with the Polpeor Cove station for 14 years until it was closed and sold off in 1899. (Location: )

Kilcobben Cove (1961– ) First station

The RNLI decided that a new station on The Lizard would be built at Kilcobben Cove east of The Lizard lighthouse. Construction was a major civil engineering project because the station and its slipway were built on a cliff just above the waterline. The station, which cost £90,000, was opened on 7 July 1961 by the Duke of Edinburgh, who also named the new lifeboat Duke of Cornwall (ON 952). Due to the steepness of the cliff, a funicular railway carries the lifeboat crew down to the boathouse.

The lifeboat station was originally called The Lizard-Cadgwith Lifeboat Station because it recognised the merging of the two former services based at Polpeor Cove and Cadgwith. This name was officially changed in 1987 to The Lizard Lifeboat Station. In 1988 the station and the slipway required adaptation with the arrival of a lifeboat called David Robinson (ON 1145).

Second station In 2010 the original station was demolished because it could not accommodate the latest lifeboats. During the rebuilding the lifeboat was kept moored afloat off Cadgwith. On 5 May 2012, the new station was officially opened by Admiral the Lord Boyce, chairman of the RNLI. On the same day, the station's new Tamar-class boat, which had replaced David Robinson the year before, was named 16-20 Rose (ON 1300) in a ceremony by the-then Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Lady Mary Holborow.

Lizard lifeboats 1859 to 1960 Station Name Length Class Comments 1859–1866 — Anna Maria 1866–1873 Lizard-Polpeor — Anna Maria Self-righter 1867–1878 Cadgwith — Western Commercial Traveller was renamed John Armstrong in 1878. 1878–1887 John Armstrong 1873–1885 Lizard-Polpeor — Anna Maria Self-righter Transferred from Polpeor to the new station at Church Cove in 1885. 1885–1887 Church Cove 1885–1903 Lizard-Polpeor 48 Edmund and Fanny Self-righter 1887–1898 Cadgwith 105 Joseph Armstrong Self-righter 1887–1899 Church Cove 47 Self-righter 1898–1932 Cadgwith 416 Minnie Moon Self-righter Lizard-Polpeor 509 Self-righter Later stationed at . 1918–1919 Lizard-Polpeor 628 Sir Fitzroy Clayton Self-righter Motor lifeboat originally stationed at . Sold in 1935 after service at and used as a houseboat until 1986. 1920–1934 Lizard-Polpeor 657 Frederick H. Pilley Self-righter Motor lifeboat. Later stationed at and until sold in 1939 and became a fishing boat. 1932–1940 Cadgwith 664 Herbert Sturmy Self-righter Originally stationed at and then . Sold in 1941 and converted to a replica galleon. 1934–1961 Lizard-Polpeor 769 Duke of York Watson Motor lifeboat. Sold in 1961 and reported to be at Wexford in 2023. 1941–1963 Cadgwith 826 Guide of Dunkirk Self-righter Motor lifeboat. Sold and reported to be at Mevagissey in 2023.

From 1961 Originally known as The Lizard-Cadgwith Lifeboat Station but the name was changed in 1987 to The Lizard Lifeboat Station. At The Lizard Name Class Comments 1960–1984 952 — Duke of Cornwall (Civil Service No.32) Later stationed at . 1984–1987 989 48-02 James and Catherine MacFarlane Originally stationed at and now preserved at St Mary's, Isles of Scilly. 1987–1988 1008 48-005 James and Mariska Joicey Originally stationed at . Sold in 1990 and modified for use as a pleasure boat, reported to be at Mylor. 1145 David Robinson Sold in 2017 and exported to Togo. 2011– 1300 16-20 Rose

Station honours The following are awards made at the Lizard Lifeboat Stations

Lizard (Polpeor)

RNLI Silver Medal Edwin Matthews, Coxswain – 1888

Captain David G Ball, Master of the Gustav Bitter – 1893

William Edward Mitchell, Coxswain – 1907 Edwin Mitchell, Second Coxswain – 1907

George Anderson, crewman, Suevic – 1907 William Williams, crewman, Suevic – 1907

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum George E Mitchell, Coxswain – 1955

Cadgwith lifeboat station

RNLI Silver Medal Mr John Ridge – 1859

Rev N Vyvyan, Honorary Secretary – 1907 Edward Rutter, Coxswain – 1907

The Lizard lifeboat station (Formerly Lizard-Cadgwith)

RNLI Bronze Medal Peter Mitchell, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1985

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Philip Burgess, Coxswain – 2004

A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Philip Burgess, Coxswain – 1993 David Hill, Second Coxswain – 1993 Roger Legge, Mechanic – 1993 John Harris, Assistant Mechanic – 1993 Michael Legge, crew member – 1993 Louis Mitchell, crew member – 1993 Richard Woodmansey, crew member – 1993 Robert Francis, crew member – 1993

A special framed certificate Coxswain and crew – 1979 (Fastnet Race)

British Empire Medal Edward Nuzum, Lifeboat Operations Manager – 2021

The Lizard Lifeboat Station

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