Devon & Cornwall – Day 7

On our penultimate day of our visits in the west country we ventured north to three Devon Lifeboat Stations. The Sun had come back out again and everything was fresh after the evenings rain showers.

Clovelly Lifeboat Station

The tiny village of Clovelly is simply stunning. Visiting the privately owned enchanting fishing village is like stepping into a different world. Famous for its steep cobbled streets and absence of cars, we allowed plenty of time to get to the Lifeboat Station, the centre piece of the tiny harbour. Ordinarily, visitors park at the top of the 400ft cliff and walk down the narrow streets to the harbour. Fortunately, we had made prior arrangement to drive down to the bottom and park near the famous Red Lion Hotel.

It was peaceful and there was not a soul around when we arrived at 9:30am. Walking through the tiny alleyways, we arrived at the quaint Grade II listed lifeboat station where crew members Andy and Phil were awaiting our arrival. They gave us such a warm welcome before showing us around the historic boathouse. Whilst Phil put the Kettle on, Andy took us out onto the slipway to take some photos.

Clovelly have an Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Toby Rundle (B-872) which has been on station since 2014. Unusually for a B-Class they have a large Talus MB-H launch tractor. This powerful beast is required to launch over the rocky harbour and shoreline at low tide.

The station was established in 1870 and has seen a few modifications over the years including the construction of the slipway and extensions to accommodate the increasing size of modern Inshore Lifeboats. Andy showed us a scale model of an interesting boat that used to be moored off the harbour. The 70ft Clyde Class cruising lifeboats were the largest ever built for the RNLI and were operated by full-time crew who lived onboard.

We enjoyed a cup of tea and a long chat with both crew members before saying our goodbyes and making our way back to the car and up the steep hill to our next stop.

---

Ilfracombe Lifeboat Station

Looking at the map of the north Devon coast you may be puzzled as to why we went from Clovelly to Ilfracombe and bypassed Appledore. Well is was for very good reason which we will come on to shortly.

In contrast to the tiny village of Clovelly, Ilfracombe is a busy seaside resort with a natural harbour surrounded by hills. We were a little early arriving and so after parking near the lifeboat station, we visited the RNLI shop in town. What an amazing little shop it was. A former pharmacy it was carefully preserved with the original, floors, ceilings and intricately carved counter and walls. We chatted to the lovely volunteer for a while about the history of the shop before heading off to grab a coffee and a toasted teacake at a very friendly café.

Back at the station, it appeared to be shut and no one at home but we could see lights on in the crew room and boathouse. A quick phone call and Coxwain Stuart welcomed us up to the crew room where we had a chat. Stuart showed us around the station and both boats. Built in 1996 to house a Mersey Class and a D-Class lifeboat, it was extended in 2015 to welcome a Shannon Class. The RNLI took ownership of the lifeboat, managed by Ilfracombe Lifeboat Association, in 1866 and built a new station near to the pier. The lifeboat was launched via slipway directly into the sea. When the slipway was filled during the construction of new piers, the boat was pulled through town and launched into the harbour. This continued until the current boathouse was built.

The two boats on station now are the Shannon Class 13-09 The Barry and Peggy High Foundation and a D-Class, D-863 Deborah Brown III. In the car park was an old Rother Class lifeboat, 37-32 The Hampshire Rose. This was formerly at Walmer lifeboat station in Kent until 1990. It has done sea trips in Ilfracombe and was undergoing some maintenance when we saw her.

After taking our required photos we wished Stuart well and headed back to the car and on to our final destination of the day.

---

Appledore Lifeboat Station

So back down the coast we headed to Appledore. Nestled on the banks of the estuary of two rivers, Taw and Torridge, Appledore is another beautiful seaside town with views over the sandy estuary and dunes.

The lifeboat station has a long history, opening in 1825, it has been located in several places around the Estuary and Bay. The RNLI took over the station in 1855. The current boathouse was built in 2001 on the site of an 1889 boathouse. It was one of the first stations to receive an Atlantic Class Inshore Lifeboat in 1972.

Today the station houses an Atlantic 85, Glanely (B-861) and operates a Tamar Class, 16-16 Mollie Hunt, from moorings in the Estuary. They also have a boarding boat which is a ex-Bude D-Class, George Bird (D-756).

We were welcomed by retiring Helm, Coxwain and Mechanic Owen and incoming Coxwain, Simon. We sat with them in the crew room with a cup of tea learning about the incredible stories of the station and crew. It was a poignant day as both Owen and Coxwain Michael were retiring after 33 and 47 years service respectively. What incredible dedication and commitment these two heroes have given. Wishing both men every success for the future we said our goodbyes and headed back to the car.

ABBA Tribute Fundraiser

So, the reason with left Appledore until the last visit of the day was because we have friends living just outside of town so we visited them before heading back for a lovely meal. We then joined the Lifeboat Fundraising team for an ABBA tribute night, which was a lot of fun. We also met with Chair of the Lifeboat Management Group, Roy. He was very interested in our challenge and after some photos, wished us well on the rest of our journeys.