| Cardigan Lifeboat Station | |
| Map Type: | Wales |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Cardigan Lifeboat Station |
| Address: | Poppit Sands |
| Location City: | Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, SA43 3LN |
| Location Country: | Wales, UK |
| Coordinates: | 52.1047°N -4.6994°W |
| Building Type: | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Opened Date: | 1849 |
| Owner: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution] |
| Website: | Cardigan Lifeboat Station |
Cardigan Lifeboat Station is located at Poppit Sands, on the southern side of the River Teifi estuary in North Pembrokeshire, approximately 3miles north-west of the town of Cardigan, Wales.
A lifeboat was first placed at Cardigan in 1849. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1851, which became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.[1]
The station was closed in 1932 but reopened in 1971 as an Inshore lifeboat station. The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Albatross (B-871), on station since 2013, and the smaller Inshore lifeboat, John Darbyshire (D-845), on station since 2019.[2]
The original Cardigan lifeboat station was built in 1849 (on the south side of the River Teifi estuary below Penrhyn Castle)[3] after the loss of the crew from the brig Agnes Lee. This station was taken over by the RNIPLS in 1851.[4]
In 1876 a replacement boathouse with slipway was built, the remains of which can be seen down the estuary at Black Rocks. In 1880, a small breakwater was built to protect the boathouse and launching site.
With a motor-powered lifeboat placed at to the south, and an existing lifeboat at, the Elizabeth Austin (ON 547) was withdrawn, and the station was closed in 1932.[1]
The subsequent popularity of this area, with increased leisure incidents and accidents, led to the decision to construct a new station on the present site; this opened in 1971.[5]
In 1987 a new boathouse, built for the new lifeboat, was officially opened. Then in 1998 a new double boathouse was completed for a B-class and D-class lifeboats, for the Talus MB-4H[6] launching vehicle, and it also provided improved crew facilities. Consequently, the station today houses two inshore lifeboats, which operate from the beach.
The lifeboat crew have training sessions twice a week – on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings; visitors to the station are welcomed at these times. The station also houses an RNLI shop, open throughout the year, volunteers permitting.
Associated with the lifeboat station is a coastguard lookout post, part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Emergency Response, located on the other side of the estuary, on the cliff top at Gwbert.[7] [8]
In December 2011 a crew at the station – comprising Gemma Griffiths, Sarah Griffiths and Louise Francis - made history by being the first all-female volunteer lifeboat crew to respond to a callout in Wales.[9]
| ON | Name | In service[10] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 1849–1850 | 27-foot Pulling | ||
| 1850–1864 | 27-foot Whale Boat | |||
| Pre-423 | John Stuart | 1864–1883 | 32-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 177 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |||
| 547 | Elizabeth Austin | 1905–1932 | Liverpool-class (P&S) | |
Station Closed in 1932
| Op. No. | Name | In service[11] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-194 | 1971–1987 | |||
| C-518 | 1987–1997 | Holed and sunk October 1993[12] (was repaired and returned to service) | ||
| D-492 | Lawnflite | 1998 | ||
| D-467 | Kathleen Scadden | 1998–1999 | ||
| D-547 | ||||
| Elsie Ida Meade | ||||
| D-845 | John Darbyshire | 2019– | ||
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanni Grey | ||||
| B-871 | Albatross | 2013– | [13] | |
| Op. No. | Reg. No. | Type | In service | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TW02 | LRU 581P | Talus MB-764 County | 1987 | |
| TW01 | XTK 150M | Talus MB-764 County | 1987–1995 | |
| TW04 | TEL 705R | Talus MB-764 County | 1995–2002 | |
| TW52Hc | Y506 JNT | Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2) | 2002–2011 | |
| TW51Hb | X651 BUJ | Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk1.5) | 2011–2023 | |
| TW45Ha | T249 JNT | Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk1) | 2023– | |
Five RNLI medals, three silver and two bronze, are among the various awards presented for service at Cardigan Lifeboat Station.[14] These include:
Note: The three 2014 awards were made for the same rescue[19]