Bude Lifeboat Station

Bude Lifeboat Station sits at the end of Summerleaze Beach car park in Bude, a seaside resort at the mouth of the River Strat, on the north-west coast of Cornwall, England.

A lifeboat station was first established at Bude by local committee in 1837. The station was re-established by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNLIPLS) in 1853, operating until its closure in 1923. The station was re-opened as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1966.

The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat (ILB), Barbara Anne Bennett (D-826), on station since 2024, first as a relief lifeboat, but now the permanent lifeboat.

History On 28 October 1836, the ship Progress was driven ashore at Bude, but all the crew were rescued. The following day, the vessel Providence foundered between Bude and Boscastle, with the loss of all hands. The attention of King William IV was drawn to the events, and he ordered money to be given from Duchy of Cornwall funds, for the provision of a lifeboat at Bude. Under the guidance of the RNIPLS, a boat costing £100 was built by Wake of Sunderland, and placed on service in 1837, operated by a local independent association. The lifeboat was known as the Royal Bude Lifeboat.

Whilst on exercise on 10 October 1844, the lifeboat capsized, and two of the crew, N. Bradden and W. Skitch, were drowned.

The following year, on 25–26 January 1845, three boatmen of HM Coastguard used the Dennett Rocket apparatus to save three men from the schooner Margaret, wrecked at Widemouth Bay, whilst on passage from Cork to Porthcawl. The three boatmen were each awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal.

By 1848, the lifeboat was in poor repair, and in edition No. 1 of the RNIPLS journal "The Life-boat" in 1852, it was reported that there was a very inefficient lifeboat at Bude. A branch committee of local gentlemen and coastguard officers was formed. A new lifeboat was ordered from Wallis of Blackwall, London in 1852, but it ended up being placed at . A self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (eight) oars, was subsequently constructed by Forrestt, at a cost of £135, and placed at Bude in 1853. The station was known as Bude Haven Lifeboat Station. The following year, the RNIPLs became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

At the meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 6 November 1862, a letter of 30 October 1862 was read, from the chairman of the Bude Haven branch. He reported that the Bude Haven lifeboat had failed to reach the East Indiaman Bencoolen, wrecked at Bude on 21 October 1862, whilst on passage from Liverpool to Bombay. Just six of the 33 crew survived, after drifting ashore on a raft. Also considering the report of the assistant Inspector of Lifeboats of 3 November, following his subsequent visit to Bude, it was decided to place a larger 10-oared lifeboat at Bude Haven, and it was ordered that a new boathouse be constructed on another site.

The new lifeboat in memory of Elizabeth Moore Garden, wife of the late Robert Theophilus Garden, was funded by their children, and was constructed by Forrestt at a cost of £200. Along with its carriage, it was transported from London to Bideford free of charge by the South Western and North Devon railway companies. From there it was drawn on its carriage to Bude, and launched for the first time on 19 June, the birthday of Elizabeth Garden.

A fine stone built boathouse, designed by the honorary architect to the Institution C. H. Cooke FRIBA, and costing £292, was constructed on the west bank of the Bude Canal, (), and an inscription carved in Aubigny stone was placed over the large doorway.

From the RNLI Annual Report of 1872 and onwards, the station became known as Bude Lifeboat Station.

On 3 March 1877, the lifeboat was launched to he assistance of the schooner Elizabeth Scown, which hit the Bude breakwater whilst carrying a cargo of stone for church restoration, The crew survived, but after the lifeboat earlier failed to get close, it capsized, and coxswain James Maynard was lost. The committee of management voted £150 to his dependants.

Elizabeth Moore Garden served at Bude until 1886, recording 17 launches, and 20 lives saved. She would be replaced by two further boats, both carrying the same name. Over the next 37 years, they would come to be launched 22 times, saving a further 20 lives.

At a ceremony on 18 August 1922, a new motor-powered lifeboat was placed at . In his speech to the assembled crowd, president of the branch Rev. J. B. White acknowledged that a motor lifeboat brought extra responsibility, and they would have to travel greater distances, and work in cooperation with other stations with motor lifeboats, such as .

Bude Lifeboat Station, sitting between the two stations of Appledore and Padstow, was closed in 1923. The lifeboat on station at the time of closure, Elizabeth Moore Garden (ON 616), was transferred to . The boathouse is now a private residence.

1966 onwards 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.

As more lifeboats were deployed, many of the older closed stations were re-established. A lifeboat (D-96) was placed at Bude in May 1966. The lifeboat was housed in a boathouse next to the canal sea lock on the south pier, (), from where it was launched across the beach.

In 1992, senior Helm, and later deputy Launch Authority, Jonathan Ball was awarded the MBE for services to architecture. A co-founder of the Eden Project, his architecture practice have won eight national and seven regional design awards, for projects including lifeboat stations at , and .

Trials took place to evaluate launching the lifeboat from a new site at Summerleaze Beach in 2000. These proved successful, with D-495 relocated to the new site, and a second lifeboat from the relief fleet placed at the old boathouse. A new station and boathouse were constructed at Summerleaze Beach, completed in 2002, at a cost of £516,000.

At a meeting of the RNLI trustees in 2008, it was resolved that Bude would be re-designated as an all-year-round station, with an additional Rescue Water Craft, or Jetski, provided during the winter months.

In April 2026, trials were carried out, to assess the suitability of operating the larger twin-engine RIB at Bude.

Awards Chief boatman William Henry Tregidgo of HM Coastguard, Bude, was awarded the RNIPLS Silver Medal, after commanding the Bude lifeboat during the rescue of two men from the smack of Bideford on 9 October 1853.

Coxswain James Maynard was awarded a gold medal by the Spanish government after rescuing the crew of the brig Juanita, of Bilbao, which ran aground north of Bude in 1865. In 1880, Coxswain Thomas Bate led the rescue of three people from the ketch Stucley, wrecked on Bude breakwater, for which he received the RNLI Silver Medal.

Members of the Bude ILB crew have been recognised for their bravery several times. The 'Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' was presented for rescues in 1993 and 1996, and a 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' were given to crew members after both these rescues and another in 1991.

The following are awards made at Bude:

Gold Medal, awarded by the Spanish Government James Maynard, Coxswain – 1865 Sabre of Honour, awarded by The Queen of Spain Mr Simpson, Coastguard Officer – 1865 RNIPLS Silver Medal Simon Bolitho, Boatman, HM Coastguard, Bude – 1845 Thomas Paul, Boatman, HM Coastguard, Bude – 1845 James Perkins, Boatman, HM Coastguard, Bude – 1845 William Henry Tregidgo, Chief Boatman, HM Coastguard, Bude – 1853 RNLI Silver Medal John Dyer – 1860 Thomas Bate, Coxswain – 1881 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' George Tickell of HMS Defence – 1881 Michael Sims, Helm – 1993 Bude Lifeboat Station – 1996 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' Simon Chadwick, crew member – 1991 James Wade, crew member – 1993 Keith West, crew member – 1993 Gary Parkinson, crew member – 1996 Resuscitation Certificate, awarded by the Royal Humane Society M. Moyle – 1966 A. J. Lovejoy – 1966 Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Jonathan Macartney Ball – 1992QBH

Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving at Bude.

Lost when the lifeboat Royal Bude Lifeboat capsized, 10 October 1844 N. Bradden, crew member W. Skitch, crew member

Lost when the lifeboat Elizabeth Moore Garden capsized, returning from the schooner Elizabeth Scown, 3 March 1877. James Maynard, Coxswain (40)

Bude lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 1837–c.1852 – Royal Bude Lifeboat 1837 24-foot North Country x (6/8-oared) North Country non-self-righting lifeboat, funded by the Duchy of Cornwall, built by Wake of Sunderland, costing £100.Lifeboat presented by King William IV. Capsized 10 October 1844. 1853–1863 1853 27-foot Peake self-righting (P&S) x (8-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, funded by the RNIPLS, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £135.Sold in 1863. 1863–1886 Pre-401 Elizabeth Moore Garden 1863 33-foot Peake self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the family of the late Mr R. T. Garden of London, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £200.Sold in 1892. 1886–1911 52 Elizabeth Moore Garden 1885 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the family of the late Mr R. T. Garden of London, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £345.Sold in January 1912. 1911–1923 616 1911 35-foot Rubie self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) Rubie-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the family of the late Mr R. T. Garden of London, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,051.Transferred to . Station closed in 1923. Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats D class Op.No. Name Class Comments 1966–1975 D-96 1975–1987 D-232 1987–1995 D-343 Transferred to the ILC 1996–2003 D-495 Transferred to . 2003–2004 D-422 Alec Dykes Previously at from 1992. 2004–2012 D-617 Henry Phillip 2012–2024 D-756 George Bird 2024 D-888 Ronald and Marjorie Stanley Taylor Returned to ILC with build issues. Later assigned to the relief fleet. 2024– First deployed in the relief fleet in 2019. Placed at Bude as a relief lifeboat in 2024, but made permanent in 2025.

Launch and recovery tractors Op.No. Reg. No. Type Comments 1921–1923 T8 AF 4256 Clayton RNLI tractor <1993–1997 TA10 B571 TFJ Ford 5610 1997–2001 TA33 D927 OTT Ford 5610 2001–2002 TA42 E726 MBX Ford 5610 2002–2004 TA41 L216 VCV Ford 5030 4WD 2004–2007 TW06 VRU 611S 2007–2012 ST03 WA54 KUX Softrak LogLogic (Mk.1) 2012–2016 TT07 WA61 HZH Tooltrack LogLogic 2016–2017 ST02 WA54 HRP Softrak Loglogic (Mk.1) 2017–2022 ST06 Softrak Loglogic (Mk.1) 2022– ST07 GX71 EAY Softrak LogLogic (Mk.3)

Bude Lifeboat Station

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