Clovelly Lifeboat Station

Clovelly Lifeboat Station A historic lifeboat station in the heart of the picturesque fishing village of Clovelly. Saving lives at sea since 1870.

Clovelly History


1869 A Silver Medal was awarded to Chief Officer Coastguard George Bumby for bringing 13 people safely ashore in a long boat from the barque Od ne wrecked at Portledge Mouth.

1870 An RNLI station was established and a boathouse was built on the harbour shore.

1882 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Richard Headon for saving 34 lives during the previous 12 years.

1890 Sil

ver Medals were awarded to Sidney Abbott and Robert Hodge for rescuing two men from a capsized boat.

1892 A boathouse and slipway were built to improve launching into the harbour.

1902 Bowman John Dunn died from the effects of exposure during a lifeboat service on 28 April.

1936 The station’s first motor lifeboat arrived at the station.

1949 Bronze Medals were awarded to Bowman Percy Shackson and Assistant Mechanic William Braund for rescuing two people from a rock under the cliffs at Baggy Point on 30 August 1948. The Maud Smith Award for Courage for Bravest Deed of the Year was also awarded for this service.

1954 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain George Lamey for rescuing three crew from the ketch Progress. It took ten attempts to rescue the crew, a cat, some new born kittens and a canary.

1962 A collective Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to the Coxswain and crew for a service to the tanker Green Ranger.

1968 A large 70-foot Clyde class lifeboat was placed on service. This was one of only two stations operating this cruising lifeboat, the other being Kirkwall in Scotland.

1971 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station. The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Dr D Mackenzie, the Honorary Medical Adviser, for boarding the motor vessel Embdena in hazardous conditions to attend to a seriously injured man.

1972 Framed Letters of Thanks were presented to Mechanics RG Tanner and PJ Croft for rescuing two men trapped on the cliffs.

1974 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Staff Coxswain Michael Stafford Houchen for saving three crew and the trawler St Pierre.

1979 A special framed certificate was awarded to the Coxswain and crew for display at the station for the services to several yachts in difficulties during the Fastnet Race on 15 August.

1987 Framed Letters of Thanks were presented to the Coxswain and four crew for rescuing four people from the yacht Moon Dragon.

1988 The Clyde class lifeboat was withdrawn from service and the station closed on 15 August.

1990–1997
An independent inshore lifeboat operated from the original boathouse and was managed by the Clovelly Trust.

1998 The RNLI re-opened the station and a B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was placed on service.

1999 The new Atlantic 75 lifeboat, B-759 Spirit of Clovelly, was placed on service.

2014. A new Atlantic 85 class lifeboat B-872 Toby Rundle, was placed on service on 6 May and B-759 transferred to the reserve fleet

Station honours

At Clovelly lifeboat station the following awards have been made:


Framed Letter of Thanks 8

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 1

Bronze Medal 4

Silver Medal 4

A busy day at the station yesterday, with Simon and Dave passing out as Tier 2 boat crew and Andy and Mitch passing out ...
17/06/2026

A busy day at the station yesterday, with Simon and Dave passing out as Tier 2 boat crew and Andy and Mitch passing out as Inshore Lifeboat Navigators.

Thanks to all the volunteers who pulled a 12-hour shift at the station, ensuring that assessments could be carried out. And huge congratulations to those who worked hard to pass - you're all a fantastic asset to the crew at Clovelly RNLI.

Our flag is flying at half mast today in honour of Bill Ewen and Frank Petsch of Marine Rescue NSW - a mark of respect e...
15/06/2026

Our flag is flying at half mast today in honour of Bill Ewen and Frank Petsch of Marine Rescue NSW - a mark of respect echoed by maritime SAR organisations around the world.

May they rest in peace.

We invite maritime SAR organisations around the world to honour the memory of Bill Ewen and Frank Petsch of Marine Rescue NSW, Australia, who tragically lost their lives in Ballina last month, by lowering flags to half-mast on Monday 15 June, the day of Bill’s funeral.

Their passing is a solemn reminder of the courage, dedication and sacrifice of those who put themselves at risk to save lives at sea. By joining us in this tribute, we acknowledge not only Bill and Frank’s service, but the commitment of all maritime SAR personnel who answer the call to help others in times of need.

If you are marking this tribute, please share photos with us at [email protected] so we can share them with the wider community.

12/06/2026
09/06/2026

Fantastic footage from last week's shout to assist two people cut off by the tide.

Impressive skills from the HM Coastguard helicopter pilot, navigating close to the cliffs to safely retrieve the two casualties from the beach.

While out on exercise with the coastal lifeboat trainer this evening, our crew were tasked to reports of two people cut ...
02/06/2026

While out on exercise with the coastal lifeboat trainer this evening, our crew were tasked to reports of two people cut off by the tide around half a mile east of Clovelly. While waiting for the lifeboat to arrive on scene, two crew members attempted to reach the casualties by land but were unsuccessful.

The lifeboat arrived on scene at 19.04 and assessed the situation, requesting attendance from the HM Coastguard helicopter at 19.14. Bideford Coastguard Rescue Team and Hartland Coastguard Rescue Team also attended, and the casualties were taken safely on board the helicopter by 20.18. The Toby Rundle was stood down at 20.21.

Two shouts in two days! At 16.18 today our crew launched to investigate reports of a group of kayakers in potentially da...
27/05/2026

Two shouts in two days! At 16.18 today our crew launched to investigate reports of a group of kayakers in potentially dangerous conditions outside of Clovelly Harbour. The group were advised of their situation regarding wind and tide and made their own way back into the harbour. The Toby Rundle was recovered at 16.28.

While performing search patterns on exercise last night, our crew were tasked by the coastguard to three swimmers in dif...
27/05/2026

While performing search patterns on exercise last night, our crew were tasked by the coastguard to three swimmers in difficulty between Saunton Beach and Downend Point. En route to the scene, we were informed that the swimmers had now been reported safe and the Toby Rundle was stood down.

It was the first shout for crew member Matt and a positive outcome during what has been a busy and challenging time for our fellow volunteers across the country.

24/05/2026

What a gorgeous day!

If you're in Clovelly for the Seaweed Festival today, we'll be open for tea, cakes, and tours. Stop by and say hi!

We've just finished our big debrief from the Cobble Wobble and we're delighted to announce that we'll be back even bigge...
16/05/2026

We've just finished our big debrief from the Cobble Wobble and we're delighted to announce that we'll be back even bigger and better next year - so save the date in your calendar now!

Thank you all so much for your feedback, it's been so lovely to hear such positive things about the race and learn how we can shape it in the future.

We've listened to our runners, and we're pleased to announce that we will be rolling back the cost of the run to just £25. The Cobble Wobble is first and foremost a fundraising event for the RNLI and we will always encourage our runners to get sponsored and raise funds so that we can continue to save lives at sea. But we also recognise that the cost of living crisis is affecting us all, and we want this wonderful event to remain accessible to as many runners as possible.

So get Sunday May 2nd 2027 in your diaries - we hope to see you on the Cobbles next year!

Address

59 The Quay
Clovelly
EX395TF

Website

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