Silloth Lifeboat Station is located at the end of Lawn Terrace, in Silloth, a port town sitting on the Solway Firth, approximately due west of Carlisle, on the north west coast of Cumbria.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Silloth by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1860, operating until 1896. The station was re-established as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1967.

The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Elaine and Don Wilkinson (B-828), on station since 2008.

History In agreement with the local population, who had made a significant financial contribution towards the cost of a boathouse and carriage, and who had agreed to maintain the service jointly with the RNLI, a new lifeboat station was established at Silloth in 1860. The cost of a new lifeboat had been met by well-known philanthropist Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts. A x self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat. one with sails and (six) oars, was placed on station, and named Angela and Hannah.

By 1867, the Angela and Hannah was found to be unfit, and withdrawn from service. Transported by both the London and North-Western, and North British railway companies free of charge, a replacement lifeboat was placed at Silloth. The lifeboat was again named Angela and Hannah, after Miss Burdett-Coutts and her sister.

The Silloth lifeboat Angela and Hannah was launched at 07:30 on 24 January 1876 into gale-force conditions, to the schooner Tweed, on passage from Falmouth to Silloth, when she struck Powfoot Bank. With waves breaking over both vessels, five crew and the pilot were rescued. The lifeboat was towed back in by the Steam tug Arabian.

In 1885, a new 34-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat was placed at Silloth. Funded from the gift of Miss Annie F. Howis of Tulse Hill, on her direction, the boat was named Emma Frisby (ON 81).

At a meeting of the RNLI management committee on Thursday 13 August 1896, following a report by district inspectors, a one-line entry records "Decided that the Silloth Life-boat station be discontinued". The station was duly closed, and the lifeboat Emma Frisby (ON 81) was sold from service.

1960s 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.

More stations were opened, and in August 1967, a lifeboat station was re-established at Silloth, with the arrival of a Inshore lifeboat (D-146). The old boathouse was re-acquired, and converted to house the Inshore lifeboat. In 1975, the lifeboat was upgraded to a lifeboat, (C-502), a larger faster twin-engined version of the boat.

The lifeboat was replaced with a lifeboat, assigned to Silloth in 1979. Developed at Atlantic College in partnership with the RNLI, the Atlantic 21-class was the first generation of rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to be placed in service. The relief lifeboat Major Osman Gabriel (B-505) was placed at Silloth for a short time, until the permanent lifeboat Amelia Gregory Armstrong (B-545) arrived in 1980. The boathouse was extended to accommodate the launch tractor.

On 19 March 1994, 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' was awarded to Helm David Litt, for his seamanship and courage bringing the lifeboat through rocks in four-foot breaking waves to rescue three boys stranded at Southerness Point.

In 1994, a new larger was assigned to the station. A new boathouse was constructed on the site of the old one, in order to accommodate the larger boat and launch tractor. Crew facilities were much improved, along with a new crew-room and lookout, and a retail outlet for souvenirs. A new slipway was also constructed. The cost of the lifeboat had been met by the fundraisers from the Lake District raising £20,000, and an appeal at Silloth and Carlisle raising £41,000. At a ceremony on 11 October 1995, the boathouse was formally opened by H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent, who then named the lifeboat Spirit of Cumbria (B-714).

Helm Steven Henderson was awarded a "Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution" in 2002, for his command of the lifeboat during the rescue of two people from the yacht Susilla, in difficulty in force 7–8 winds, on 26 November, 2002.

Spirit of Cumbria (B-714) served the station for 13 years. Funded from the bequest of the late Mr Donald Wilkinson, she was replaced by a new lifeboat, Elaine and Don Wilkinson (B-828), placed on service on Saturday 15 November 2008.

At a ceremony on Sunday 9 February 2025, 10 crew members, all with five years front-line service, were presented with the King's Coronation Medal by David Beeby, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria.

Station honours The following are awards made at Silloth.

'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' David Litt, Helm – 1994 Steven Henderson, Helm – 2002

King Charles III Coronation Medal

Roll of honour In memory of those lost while serving at Silloth:

Lost when their Fire Service rescue boat capsized, whilst trying to save a man stranded in Skinburness Marsh, 10 December 1956 Joseph Bell (37) Stanley Graham (29) John J. Johnstone (47) Alexander Black Ramsay (43)

Silloth lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 1860 1860–1867 30-foot Peake self-righting (P&S) x (6-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss A. Burdett-Coutts of Piccadilly, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £168.Capsized 1863. Broken up in 1867.Pre-502 Angela and Hannah1867 1867–187732-foot Prowse self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) Prowse-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss A. Burdett-Coutts of Piccadilly, built by Forrest of Limehouse, London, costing £246.Renamed Mary Louisa in 1877. Mary Louisa 1877–1885 Legacy of Miss M. L. Browne of Liverpool.Broken up in 1885. 81 Emma Frisby 1885 1885–1896 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Miss A. Howis of Tulse Hill, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £310.Sold in 1896. Station Closed in 1896 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 Op.No. Name Class Comments D-146 1967–1969 D-144 1970–1975 John Gilpin 1975–1977 C-503 1977–1979 B-505 Major Osman Gabriel 1979–1980 B-545 1980–1995 B-714 Spirit of Cumbria 1995–2008 B-828 Elaine and Don Wilkinson 2008–

Launch and recovery tractors Op.No. Reg. No. Type Comments TA20 EHO 416S Ford Tractor <1992–1994 TW15 1994–1998 TW02 LRU 581P Talus MB-764 County 1998–2003 TW38 N469 XAW Talus MB-764 County 2003–2013 TW35 N506 WNT Talus MB-764 County 2013–2024 TW13 D948 SAW Talus MB-764 County 2024–

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage

Notes

References

External links Silloth RNLI Lifeboat Station