Rear Admiral Ian Moncrief CBE DL writes: On 3 March, I accompanied the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset to a celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI lifeboat station in Minehead and its lifesaving work covering a 33 mile stretch of the Bristol Channel coast. Mohammed made a speech and cut a specially made cake at an event that was well attended by the local community and also by the Chairman of Somerset County Council and the Mayor of Minehead.
Minehead Lifeboat Station Chairman Richard Newton said that “2026 is all about celebrating the rich heritage of this vital coastal asset and sowing the seeds for another 125 years of lifesaving on the Exmoor coast. We want to create greater awareness of our work and build on our excellent record of community and volunteer engagement”
The station was founded in 1901, following the famous overland launch of lifeboat Louisa in January 1899. The Lynmouth Lifeboat crew found themselves unable to launch in challenging sea conditions to the stricken vessel Forrest Hall in difficulty off Porlock Weir. Villagers and teams of horses undertook a backbreaking and exhausting 13 mile over 11 hours with an overland tow of the hefty lifeboat, climbing Countisbury Hill and descending Porlock Hill, before launching from Porlock Weir and enabling them to save all hands on board.
Today, the Lifeboat station operates two RIB rescue craft, the Atlantic 85 and D- Class, and plays host to a thriving community of crew, fundraisers, shop volunteers selling a wide range of RNLI goods. The recently expanded Visits team are on hand whenever the shop is open, to show off the station and to explain all about how the volunteer crew saves lives at sea.
