RNLI Station History · East Anglia
Lowestoft Lifeboat Station
© Adrian S Pye · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Established1801
RNLI From1855
Gallantry Medals39
StatusActive 24/7
| All-Weather Lifeboat | |
|---|---|
| Launch Method | Afloat |
| Address | South Pier, Royal Plain, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0AE |
| Telephone | 01502 573757 |
RNLI Station Histories Guidebook
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RNLI Station Histories Guidebook
Explore two centuries of RNLI lifeboat history, heroic rescues, and the enduring tradition of saving lives at sea.
At Britain’s most easterly point, Lowestoft is one of the oldest lifeboat stations of all — founded in 1801, before the RNLI itself existed, and home to the first sailing lifeboat. With 39 gallantry medals and a history that includes Dunkirk, it operates a Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat from the South Pier.
A lifeboat built by Henry Greathead was placed at Lowestoft on trial in 1801; the station was re-opened by the Suffolk Humane Society in 1807, passing to the RNLI in 1855. In 1807 Lowestoft received the first sailing lifeboat, the Frances Anne, forerunner of a fleet that served for over 140 years.
