RNLI Station Histories Guidebook – The Definitive Guide – All 238 Stations

The definitive record of two centuries of RNLI history

This guide is a tribute to that tradition, told through the places it is rooted in: the RNLI lifeboat stations that ring the coastline of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

There are few institutions woven as deeply into the life of local communities as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. For two centuries its crews — overwhelmingly volunteers — have put to sea in some of the worst conditions imaginable risking their lives so that strangers might come home safely.

Each station has its own character, shaped by the waters it watches over, the boats it has operated, and the men and women who have served from it. Some guard busy estuaries and shipping lanes; others stand watch over remote headlands where the next landfall is across the open ocean. Together they tell a single, remarkable story — and this book sets out to record it, one station at a time, for each of the 238 unique RNLI histories.

What’s inside

This definitive guide includes every operational lifeboat station across the UK and Ireland. For each station you will find a concise history, notable rescues, honours and acts of gallantry, the classes of lifeboat operated, past and present, current operational information, and practical notes for those wishing to visit.

Stations are grouped by region and listed alphabetically, so the book can be read end to end or dipped into as you travel. Also included:

• A complete reference section detailing all classes of RNLI lifeboat, their capabilities, and which stations they operate from
• A full glossary of nautical terms used throughout
• A register of 176 former lifeboat stations, closed between 1803 and 2025, including what survives of them today
• Space at the end of each entry to record your own visit — the date, a few impressions, and a station stamp or crew signature — building a personal logbook of the coast over time

A note on sources and accuracy

Compiling a record of this scale inevitably means drawing on many sources, and the lifeboat service is not a static thing — stations open and close, boats are reclassified, and records are revised as new research comes to light. Every effort has been made to ensure the details here are correct at the time of writing, but readers who spot an error or can add to the record are warmly encouraged to get in touch. Corrections make the next edition better.

With respect and gratitude for the sacrifice given by all the volunteer crews in the RNLI, past and present.

Also available

This guide is also available in printed book and Kindle eBook formats — ideal RNLI gifts for lifeboat crew members, retired crew, collectors, and anyone interested in RNLI history.