New Brighton Lifeboat Station | |
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New Brighton Lifeboat Station | |
General information | |
Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
Location | Kings Parade |
Address | New Brighton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH45 2ND |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 53°26′22.1″N 3°02′50.2″W / 53.439472°N 3.047278°W |
Opened | 1827 / 1863 |
Owner | ![]() |
New Brighton Lifeboat Station is located on Kings Parade in the town of New Brighton on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside. A lifeboat was first stationed at Magazines village by the Liverpool Dock Trustees in 1827. The station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1863.[1]
The station currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, the Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.51) (B-837), on station since 2009.[2]
In the 18th Century, vessels arriving in the Port of Liverpool were required to first deposit their gunpowder in the Gunpowder magazine, which was located in a secluded area on the Wirral, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Over time, Magazine Village developed, and it was here that the Liverpool Dock Trustees placed one of their lifeboats in 1827, with a boathouse being constructed in 1828. The location was ideally situated to cover the mouth of the river. A second boat was stationed there in 1839.[3]
At a public meeting in 1862, it was discussed that a boat, located in the now increasingly populous area known as New Brighton, would be better positioned to effect a faster response into Liverpool Bay. The RNLI was approached, and agreed to provide a lifeboat station in New Brighton. An unusual new 'Tubular' type of lifeboat, named Rescue, was commissioned with J. Hamilton, Jnr, Windsor Works, Liverpool, and arrived on station in January 1863.[4]
Within 18 months, as the Liverpool Dock Trustees had found, it was necessary to place a second boat at New Brighton, and a No.2 station was started in July 1864. This boat too was unusual, as it was a 33-foot Iron boat rather than the usual wooden boats. She was named Willie and Arthur.[4]
In 1893, New Brighton received the Duke of Northumberland (ON 231), transferred from Holyhead, as their No.2 lifeboat. The boat was a 50-foot Steam-powered lifeboat, using Water-Jets as a means of propulsion, over 140 years before this technology was again utilised by the RNLI in the present day Shannon-class lifeboats. When the boat was required to be returned to Holyhead, the RNLI commissioned another Steam-class lifeboat. Arriving on station in 1897, she was named Queen (ON 404) to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.[4]
It would appear that in 1923, the replacement lifeboat for Queen, a 60-foot Barnett-class lifeboat William and Kate Johnston (ON 682) was assigned to be the No.1 station boat, with the No.1 boat becoming No.2.[2]
Both No.1 and No.2 station boats were retired in 1950, being replaced by just one boat, effectively closing the No.2 station. The 52-foot Barnett-class lifeboat Norman B. Corlett (ON 883) remained in service until 1973, when it was decided that the All-weather lifeboat would be withdrawn, and replaced with a fast Inshore B-class (Atlantic 21). With the Atlantic-class boat having to be stored 1.5 miles from the station until a new boathouse was built, a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat was also placed on service for 18 months.[2]
In response to the number of rescues required on the large expanse of mud and sand at the end of the Wirral Peninsular, the RNLI placed one of their seven Griffon Hoverwork Type 470TD Hovercraft on station in 2004. This Hovercraft was relocated to Hoylake in 2016.[2]
The following are awards made at New Brighton[1][5]
ON[a] | Name | In service[7] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
− | Unnamed | 1827−1845 | Unknown | [4] |
− | Unnamed | 1845−1863 | Unknown | [Note 1][4] |
− | Rescue | 1863−1866 | 42' Tubular | [Note 2][4] |
− | Latimer | 1866−1867 | 34' 6" Self-righting (P&S) | |
− | Willie and Arthur | 1867−1876 | 42' Tubular | [Note 3] |
71 | Willie and Arthur | 1876−1890 | 45' Tubular | [Note 4] |
221 | Henry Richardson | 1890−1898 | 43' Tubular | [Note 5] |
414 | Henry Richardson | 1898−1919 | 43' Watson (P&S) | |
637 | Staughton | 1919−1923 | 40' Watson (P&S) | |
682 | William and Kate Johnston | 1923−1950 | Barnett | |
883 | Norman B. Corlett | 1950−1973 | Barnett |
ON[a] | Name | In service[7] | Class | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
− | Unnamed | 1839−1863 | 30-foot non-self-righting | [Note 6][4] | |
− | Willie and Arthur | 1864−1867 | 33' Iron Self-righting (P&S) | [Note 7] | |
− | Lily | 1867−1878 | 32' Self-righting (P&S) | ||
− | Stuart Hay | 1878−1888 | 40' Tubular | ||
221 | Henry Richardson | 1888−1890 | 43' Tubular | ||
No No.2 lifeboat between 1890 and 1893 | |||||
231 | Duke of Northumberland | 1893−1897 | Steam | ||
404 | Queen | 1897−1923 | Steam | [Note 8] | |
637 | Staughton | 1923−1930 | 40' Watson (P&S) | ||
550 | Anne Miles | 1930−1936 | 43' Watson (P&S) | ||
535 | Reserve No.7E | 1936−1938 | 43' Watson (P&S) | [Note 9] | |
812 | Edmund and Mary Robinson | 1938−1950 | 41ft Watson |
ON[a] | Name | In service[2] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
76 | Unnamed | 1884−1887 | 46' 2" Self-righting (P&S) | [Note 10] |
Op.No.[b] | Name | In service[2] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
H-005 | Hurley Spirit | 2004−2016 | Hovercraft | [Note 11] |
Op. No.[b] | Name | In service[2] | Class | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
D-42 | Unnamed | 1973–1974 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
B-509 | Unnamed | 1973–1981 | B-class (Atlantic 21) | |
B-549 | Blenwatch | 1981–1996 | B-class (Atlantic 21) | |
B-721 | Rock Light | 1996–2009 | B-class (Atlantic 75) | |
B-837 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.51) |
2009– | B-class (Atlantic 85) |