| Dover Lifeboat Station | |||||||||||
| Map Type: | Kent | ||||||||||
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 | ||||||||||
| Address: | Marina Curve, Dover, | ||||||||||
| Location Country: | England | ||||||||||
| Coordinates: | 51.1175°N 1.3194°W | ||||||||||
| Building Type: | Lifeboat station | ||||||||||
| Opened Date: | First RNLI station 1855 Current station 2024 | ||||||||||
| Owner: | RNLI | ||||||||||
| Architect: | Studio 4 | ||||||||||
| Website: | Dover Lifeboat Station website | ||||||||||
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Dover Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station[1] located in the town of Dover in the English county of Kent.[2] The station first opened in 1837, coming under the RNLI’s control in 1855.[3]
Among the awards won by Dover's crews over the years are 19 RNLI medals for bravery, 6 silver and 13 bronze, the last being awarded in 1998.[4]
The first rescue service at Dover was called the 'Dover Humane and Shipwreck Institution', which was established in September 1837.[5] Its former boathouse at the Dover Western Docks has been designated a Grade II listed building, along with the adjacent clock tower.[6]
From its inception until the First World War, the Dover station operated using rowing and sailing lifeboats. In September 1914, following the outbreak of war, the station was forced to close due to difficulties manning the lifeboat safely. The station re-opened in 1919, with a new steam lifeboat called James Stevens No. 3. Built in 1898 this single propeller lifeboat, one of only six steam driven lifeboats, was designed to be ready to steam immediately, at all times. However, the lifeboat still took at least 20 minutes to get up to steam and required a large technical crew to keep her fired up. It was launched only five times before the station was closed again in 1922.[7]
With increased shipping and the advent of air traffic, the RNLI realised that a lifeboat station in Dover would again be required,[7] and in 1929 a new boathouse was opened in the Eastern Docks at Camber.[8] The re-opened station was supplied with a new faster lifeboat. The Sir William Hillary (ON 725),[7] named after the founder of the RNLI, arrived on station in 1930 and was powered by twin 375 horsepower petrol engines with a top speed of 17.25 Knots. This was almost twice the speed of the rest of the RNLI’s fleet of lifeboats, most of which were capable of 9 Knots.[7] The Dover station operated from this location until the Second World War. At the time of the Dunkirk evacuation the Sir William Hillary was away having a refit and overhaul. The relief lifeboat Agnes Cross (ON 663) remained at Dover until 1941, when the station closed again for the duration of the War.[4]
In 1947 the Dover station began operations again, re-locating to the former Motor Torpedo Boat pens in the East Docks area.[7] The rapid expansion of the Dover ferry terminal in the 1980s saw the lifeboat station move again, to the Tug Haven situated in the inner harbour across from the Cross Wall Quay.
In the late 1990s, work began on a new station built on Cross Wall Quay. Construction was completed in 2000 and the station began operating in August 2001.
The station moved from Crosswall Quay to Marina Curve of Dover's Western Docks where it will be quicker to launch. The building was designed by Studio 4 architects to be as environmentally friendly as possible with a Glulam timber-frame, ground source heating and solar panels. The move was announced in 2022 and construction started in February 2023. It was completed early the following year. The official opening was on 22 June 2024.[9] [10]
The current lifeboat is a Severn-class lifeboat called City of London II (ON 1220) which has been on station since 1997 and is the fifteenth lifeboat to be stationed at Dover.
The following are awards made at Dover[11] [12]
Major Henry Scott, Chairman of the Dover Branch - 1882
James Woodgate, Coxswain - 1891
James Woodgate, Coxswain - 1893 (Second-Service clasp)
Colin H Bryant, Coxswain - 1940
Arthur Liddon, Coxswain Mechanic - 1976
Roy Couzens, Acting Coxswain -1988
Sidney T Hills, Second Coxswain - 1940
Wilfred L Cook, Mechanic - 1940
Christian R T Stock, Second Mechanic - 1940
Lt Richard Walker, RNR, Assistant King’s Harbour Master - 1940
John Walker, Coxswain - 1951
John Walker, Coxswain - 1956 (Second-Service Clasp)
Anthony George Hawkins, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic - 1976
Michael Abbott, Acting Assistant Mechanic and Emergency Coxswain - 1988
Geoffrey Buckland, crew member - 1988
Dominic McHugh, crew member - 1988
Christopher Ryan, crew member - 1988
Robert Bruce, crew member - 1988
Eric Tanner, crew member - 1988
Roy Couzens, Acting Coxswain - 1988
Richard John Hawkins, Second Assistant Mechanic - 1976
John James Smith, crew member - 1976
Gordon David, crew member - 1976
Arthur Liddon, Coxswain Mechanic - 1977
Anthony G Hawkins, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic - 1977
Anthony G Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1981
Anthony G Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1992
David Pascall, crew member - 1992
Rodney Goldsack, crew member - 1992
G V James, crew member - 1979
Anthony G Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic - 1982
Dover Lifeboat Crew - 1982
Anthony G Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic - 1985
Dover Lifeboat Crew and Shore helpers - 1985
The crews of the motor launches Darg, Denise and of the tug Dextrous - 1985
Anthony G Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic - 1993
Dr Sotiris Mantoudis - 1977
Dr Peter Welch, honorary medical adviser - 1981
Dover Lifeboat Station - 1952
Henry Pegg, Motor Mechanic - 1954
W Wilfred Cook, a travelling mechanic of the Institution - 1954
Dover Lifeboat Station - 1966
The Coxswain and crew - 1979
Anthony George Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic - 1998[13]
| In service | Class | Length | Oars | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-righting | 12 | |||
| 1853–1857 | Self-righting | 6 | Built by Mr. T. C. Clarkson of London, later in service with Sunderland Seamen's Association.[14] | |
| Name | Class | class=unsortable | Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1858–1864 | – | – | — | , 6-oar boat.[15] | ||
| 1864–1878 | – | – | Royal Wiltshire | Self-righting | , 10-oar boat. | |
| 1878–1888 | – | – | Henry William Pickersgill | Self-righting | boat. | |
| 1888–1901 | 197 | – | Lewis Morice | Self-righting | , 12-oar boat.[16] | |
| 1901–1914 | 464 | – | Mary Hamer Hoyle | Self-righting | , 12-oar boat. Left when the station was closed due to World War I. | |
| 1919–1922 | 420 | – | Station closed 1922–1930. | |||
| 1930–1940 | 725 | – | Sir William Hillary | Fast Afloat | lifeboat. Assigned to the Admiralty in World War II. | |
| 1940–1941 | 663 | – | Agnes Cross | Station closed 1941–1947 due to World War II. | ||
| 1947–1949 | 694 | – | J.B. Proudfoot | Watson | Built for in 1924 where it was named H.F. Bailey. | |
| 1949–1967 | 860 | – | Southern Africa | |||
| 1003 | Sold for lifeboat service in Australia. | |||||
| 1979–1997 | 1031 | 50-001 | Rotary Service | |||
| 1997– | 1220 | 17-09 | City of London II | |||