Bamburgh Castle Lifeboat Station
| Bamburgh Castle Lifeboat Station (Closed) | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Bamburgh Castle Lifeboat House. | |
  Northumberland and Bamburgh location | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | The Boat House |
| Address | The Wynding |
| Town or city | Bamburgh, Northumberland |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 55°36′40.2″N 1°43′00.5″W / 55.611167°N 1.716806°W |
| Opened | 1882 |
| Closed | 1897 |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Bamburgh Castle Lifeboat Station is a former Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station, which was located at the village of Bamburgh in the county of Northumberland. A lifeboat was first stationed here by the RNLI in 1882.
The station was closed in 1897.[1]
History
It was long thought that Bamburgh Castle lifeboat station was the First lifeboat station, dating from 1786, but that honour is now with Formby Lifeboat Station, founded 10 years earlier. However, at the request of the "Crewe Trustees", a charitable organisation founded by Nathaniel Crewe, Bishop of Durham in 1704, a lifeboat constructed by Lionel Lukin was placed here in the late 1700s, where it served for many years.[2]
It was only in 1882, following several shipwrecks in the area, that requests were made to the RNLI to place a boat at Bamburgh, which was agreed. A site for a boathouse was chosen on The Wyndings, and constructed at a cost of £231. A 32-foot self-righting "pulling and sailing"" lifeboat (one with oars and sails), built by Woolfe of Shadwell and costing £282, was funded by the late Mr John Cuttell, of Holmfirth, Yorkshire, and named after the donor and his sister John and Betty Cuttell (ON 184) at a ceremony on 24 August 1882. A further £1000 was donated by Miss Cuttell for the upkeep of the Bamburgh Castle lifeboat in perpetuity. Two further lifeboats to serve at Banburgh were also named John and Betty Cuttell.[3]
In 1885, the John and Betty Cuttell (ON 184) was transferred to Upgang lifeboat station near Whitby, renamed Joseph Sykes, and Bamburgh received another 32-foot self-righting lifeboat built by Woolfe, a slightly older boat built in 1879, previously named City of Manchester at Ferryside Lifeboat Station. She was called out twice over the next 4 years, but each time another lifeboat, Boulmer, and then Holy Island, effected a rescue.[3]
A third and final lifeboat would be provided to Banburgh in 1889. This time, it was a 34-foot self-righting lifeboat, again constructed by Woolfe, costing £426, and again named John and Betty Cuttell (ON 247). The boat was only launched once, with the rescue eventually carried out by the North Sunderland lifeboat, and was called but stood down a further three times.[3]
With a record of just three launches and no lives saved over a 15 year period, and apparently with sufficient lifeboat cover in the area, the Bamburgh Castle lifeboat station was closed in 1897. The boathouse still remains, and is used as a Holiday Let.[1]
Bamburgh Castle lifeboats
| ON[a] | Name | In service[4] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184 | John and Betty Cuttell | 1882−1885 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [Note 1] |
| – | John and Betty Cuttell | 1885−1889 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | Previously the City of Manchester at Ferryside [Note 2] |
| 247 | John and Betty Cuttell | 1889−1897 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [Note 3] |
- ^ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
See also
Notes
References
- ^ a b Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
- ^ "1785: The first lifeboats". RNLI. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Morris, Jeff (May 2000). The Closed Lifeboat Stations of Northumberland. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 14–15.
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–120.