Work started on building a new lifeboat station for Wells RNLI in 2020.
A new, bigger boathouse was required to house the Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat which replaced the 30 year old Mersey-class lifeboat.
The work was completed in 2022.
The boathouse is located beside the beach bank near the Beach Café and replaced the old boathouse which was more than 125 years old.
The building structure consists of a well-insulated glulam timber frame which is clad in Siberian Larch timber atop a bathstone masonry plinth.
You can read more about the Boathouse Build.
In 2022, the new Lifeboat Station was completed after two years of construction to house the new Shannon-class lifeboat, replacing the station’s previous all-weather lifeboat and historic boathouse.
The station has two lifeboats; the Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat RNLB 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh and an inshore lifeboat D-797 Peter Wilcox, ready to save lives and assist with emergencies around Wells and off the North Norfolk coast.
See the New Boathouse Build for the full story of how the new station was built.
The Lifeboat Station has a shop, visitor centre and a first-floor viewing gallery where you can see the boats.
Manned by volunteers, the shop and viewing gallery are normally open weekends from Friday to Monday, and try to be open every day in the summer holidays and half-terms. In good weather, the main boathouse doors may also be open to view the all-weather lifeboat from the front.
More about Visiting Wells Lifeboat Station.
The station has two lifeboats; a Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat which can operate in all conditions and a small, fast inshore lifeboat.
Shannon-class All Weather Lifeboat No. 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh
The Shannon has a top speed of 25 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles. Powered by waterjets instead of propellers, it’s a master at manoeuvrability.
6 crew members operate a Shannon-class lifeboat, sitting on shock-absorbing seats. The unique hull minimises the slamming of the lifeboat in choppy sea, and should the Shannon capsize, it will return to an upright position. It can carry 18 casualties and still be able to self-right in the event of capsize.
IB1 D-Class Inshore Lifeboat No. D-797 Peter Wilcox
First introduced into the RNLI fleet in 1963, the inflatable D-class lifeboat is highly manoeuvrable and usually operates closer to shore where all-weather lifeboats cannot reach. Used for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations, it can navigate tight spaces around cliffs, rocks and caves.
Due to its small size, it can be launched rapidly and reach incidents quickly like surfer or swimmer rescues near the shoreline. The D-class usually has a crew of 3 or 4 and is considered the workhorse of the RNLI fleet.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the charity that saves lives at sea. Funded primarily from public donations, the search and rescue service has been saving lives for 200 years.
The vast majority of RNLI people are unpaid local volunteers. At Wells, the crew members, shore helpers, committee members, station officers, fund-raising Guild, shop staff and visitor guides are all volunteers.
Wells lifeboat crew and launchers are on stand-by 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The RNLI has kept a lifeboat at Wells for over 150 years. In 1869 the RNLI took over operation of the lifeboat and built a boathouse at the west end of the quay costing £300. That building is now the Harbour Office.
The RNLI celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2024, a milestone marked nationally and by lifeboat crews and stations around the UK.
Please read the RNLI Guide to Water Safety (pdf file) for more information on staying safe by the water in Wells.
The new Shannon-class lifeboat at Wells celebrates the lives of 15,000 people by carrying their names within the RNLI 13-46 decals on the sides of the hull and roof of the wheelhouse. It is the third new lifeboat to be part of the ‘Launch A Memory’ scheme.
All the names for the new Wells lifeboat were allocated in early 2022 and are now on the boat.
Read more about Launch A Memory Wells.
What is Launch a Memory?
Remember a loved one you miss – or celebrate someone still with us – by adding their name to an all-weather lifeboat. There is a suggested donation of £50 per name. Every time the lifeboat crew launch to the rescue, your loved one will be there with them.
If you’d like to support the RNLI’s work and have a name celebrated on a new all-weather lifeboat, visit the RNLI’s Launch A Memory where details of new boats and applications can be found.
Guided Tours of Wells Lifeboat Station are available. These are free but limited to 12 people at a time so must be booked in advance on the Eventbrite website.
Tours last approximately 50 minutes. On a typical tour you will learn the history and ethos of RNLI Wells Lifeboat Station, be given a guided tour of the boat hall, and get up close to the Shannon-class all weather lifeboat 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh and the D-class inshore lifeboat D797 Peter Wilcox.
There are informative materials to take away and souvenirs are available for purchase.
If you are visiting to see the name of a loved one on the Duke of Edinburgh lifeboat as part of the Launch A Memory scheme, please note you may not be able to see it. Due to the height of the boat, names on the wheelhouse (roof) will not be visible or accessible but can be seen on a full-size replica.
Names on the port and starboard sides may also be difficult to see, but can be viewed on full size replicas of the decals. You can check where the name is located on the Launch a Memory website.
Read more about Visiting Wells Lifeboat Station.