Burry Port Lifeboat Station

Burry Port Lifeboat Station

Burry Port, Carmarthenshire
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	The Harbour, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, UK
Country	Wales, UK
Coordinates	51°40′45″N 4°14′55″W / 51.67926°N 4.24858°W / 51.67926; -4.24858
Opened	1887
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Burry Port Lifeboat Station (near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales) was first opened in 1887, the cost of the station defrayed from a legacy bequeathed by the late Mrs J S Barclay of Edmonton and, in accordance with her wishes, the boat was named David Barclay of Tottenham (ON110), after her late husband.^[1]

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution had taken over a lifeboat station at Llanelli in 1854, 2 years after it opened, but decided to close the station, and relocate the lifeboat operations to Pembrey in 1863. However, due to a constant increase of sand at Pembrey, it was necessary to move once again, this time to Burry Port.^[1]

Reopening in 1973, the station currently operates a D-class (IB1) named Williams & Cole (D-882) and a B-class (Atlantic 85) named The Misses Barrie (B-915)

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History

Burry Port Lifeboat Station opened in 1887 after moving twice in the previous 30 years. The station was previously allocated a 32-foot-long (9.8 m), 10-oar lifeboat named Stanton Meyrick of Pimlico which operated until 1886, when the boathouse was also abandoned due to operational issues in launching and recovering at that site.

A new boathouse was built on the eastern side of Burry Port Harbour in 1887 to replace it, and up until the station closed in 1914, operated three different lifeboats, all named David Barclay of Tottenham, saving a total of 34 lives.

In 1914, the station was closed, as it was considered there was ample coverage for the estuary from flank stations.

In 1973, due to an increase in drowning incidents in Carmarthen Bay, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution decided to reopen the station and allocate it a D-class lifeboat.

In 2002 a Coast review acknowledged the need for a larger craft to complement the existing D-class lifeboat and decided that a B-class Atlantic 75 lifeboat would also be stationed here.

Following the delivery of the Atlantic 75 in 2010, which was housed in a temporary building, the dire need for a new boathouse to accommodate both boats under one roof was identified.

It would also offer, better volunteer facilities, increased capacity for school and group visits, a visitor experience with a shop and would be easier to manage. It would also be large enough to house a new Atlantic 85, a larger and more capable boat than the existing Atlantic 75.

Plans were drawn up and in Sept 2019 the new facility was officially opened and the new Atlantic 85 commissioned. The new building was designed by Llanelli Architects, Lewis Partnership Ltd.