Barmouth's station history

Silver Medal awarded to Edmond Lewis for rescuing seven men when the vessel Neptune ran aground in a violent gale on 2 February 1825. The crew of the vessel abandoned her in Cardigan Bay, seven Barmouth men went to her assistance but, having boarded her, were unable to leave. The ship parted, ran onto rocks, and the men were given up for lost. Mr Lewis attaching himself to a rope, descended a precipice to board the wreck and, using ropes that he had brought down for this purpose, helped to haul all the men up the cliffs to safety.

The station is established in 1828 at the request of the local inhabitants, and the lifeboat house is built at a cost of £95. Lifeboat placed in the care of local Harbour Trust. First unnamed Palmer type lifeboat, built at a cost of £56, takes up service.

An unnamed Peake class lifeboat, built at a cost of £135, is put into service.

A new boathouse is built on the banks of the Mawddach estuary.

A self-righting lifeboat, Ellen, built at a cost of £300, is put into service.

A new slipway is built to ease launching. A self-righting lifeboat ON64, Jones-Gibb, built at a cost of £390, is put into service.

Slipway damaged during a severe gale.

Water service provided.

While works are being carried out in connection with the alterations to the lifeboat house and slipway, several of the workmen are buried by a sudden rockfall. Two men are killed and one injured. The Institution makes a grant of £50 to the family of each man killed.

A new W type lifeboat ON538, also named Jones-Gibb, built at a cost of £1,032, is put into service.

Old lifeboat house sold for £50.

A Centenary Vellum awarded to station.

A Letter of Appreciation is presented to Coxswain Morris and the crew after a search for a small steamer in Mochras Bay for nearly 6.5 hours.

A new motor Surf class lifeboat, ON817, Lawrence Ardern, Stockport, built at a cost of £3,492, is put into service.

The Liverpool class lifeboat ON864, The Chieftain, built at a cost of £9,943, is put into service.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed in Vellum awarded to George Berridge and Motor Mechanic William Morris, who was also voted the Maud Smith Award for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew. The award recognises him for putting out in his own motor launch and rescuing four swimmers who were in difficulties off Barmouth on 16 July. This is the first occasion on which the award is made for a rescue carried out by a member of a lifeboat crew who put out in his own boat and not in a lifeboat.

Inshore Lifeboat Station established with D class lifeboat sent to station in June.

Silver Medals awarded to the crew of the Barmouth inshore lifeboat, John Henry Stockford, Colin Pugh and Dr Robert Airdrie Haworth for their efforts in rescuing a woman who had fallen over a cliff on 21 June 1971. The rescue was achieved in heavy seas breaking on the shore which swamped the ILB, but eventually the badly injured woman was evacuated from the site and landed to a waiting ambulance on a nearby beach. The Ralph Glister Award for the most meritorious service of the year performed by the crew of an inshore lifeboat is awarded to Crew Members John Stockford, Colin Pugh and Dr Robert Haworth for this service.

150th Anniversary Vellum awarded to station.

Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain Evan Jones in recognition of his courage and determination when he drove the lifeboat, B.H.M.H, on temporary duty at Barmouth, on to the North Bank, Barmouth Bar, and rescued two men who had taken to a liferaft from the motor fishing vessel Boy Nick which went aground in a westerly gale and a rough sea on 22 November 1978.

Royal Humane Society’s testimonial on parchment awarded to crew member John Henry Stockford, who rescued a man who had jumped into the sea from Barmouth Viaduct on 19 October.

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum accorded to Acting Coxswain Edward Leonard Vaughan, in recognition of the seamanship and determination displayed by him when the lifeboat Dorothy and Philip Constant, on temporary duty at Barmouth, rescued the crew of three and saved the trawler Gardelwen. The trawler had broken down with engine and steering failure and was making water 17.5 miles west by south of Barmouth in a south-south-westerly gale and a very rough sea on 31 October.

The Rother class lifeboat ON1063, The Princess of Wales, built at a cost of £239,197, is put into service and The Chieftain withdrawn.

Alterations are made to the main boathouse in order to accommodate both the D class lifeboat and boarding boat. A crew room is also constructed in the loft space.

Rother class lifeboat withdrawn and replaced by a Mersey class lifeboat ON1185 Moira Barrie, funded by bequest of Miss Moira Barrie together with other gifts and legacies.

New D class lifeboat D524, Pilgrim, is placed on service on 13 August.

A new boathouse completed in February at a cost of £1,232,506.

On 5 April 2004 Coxswain Keith Allday and Helmsman Alan Massey are attending to moorings in the Barmouth estuary in their roles of harbourmaster and assistant harbourmaster, Barmouth. Some misfortune overtakes them and their small boat is later found beached and empty. Coxswain Allday’s body is subsequently found ashore. The local council sets up a Community Families Fund for the benefit of their families.

New D class lifeboat D-678 Clive Tanner placed on station 6 June 2007. Lifeboat D-524 moved to relief fleet.