A Lifeboat Town
Llandudno has had a lifeboat since 1861, when the station opened as the Ormes Head Lifeboat Station. It was renamed Llandudno Lifeboat Station in 1893, and for more than 160 years its volunteer crews have answered calls around the Great and Little Ormes, across Llandudno Bay and far out into Liverpool Bay.
Today the station is run by the RNLI and crewed by local volunteers, who drop everything when their pagers go off, day or night, in all weathers.
From Lloyd Street to Craig-y-Don
Llandudno's lifeboat famously lived in the middle of town. The first boathouse stood on Augusta Street near the railway station, and in 1903 a new one was built on Lloyd Street. Because the town sits between two shores, the boathouse was roughly 700 metres from either launch point, and every shout meant towing the lifeboat through the streets behind a tractor before it could be launched, usually taking 12 to 15 minutes. Generations of visitors remember the sight of the lifeboat rolling down the road.
In 2016 work began on a new boathouse at Craig-y-Don, at the eastern end of the promenade, and it was completed in summer 2017. Launching straight from the seafront has cut precious minutes from every call-out.
The Lifeboats
The station operates two lifeboats. The all-weather boat is the Shannon-class William F. Yates, which arrived on station in September 2017. The Shannon is the RNLI's modern water-jet lifeboat, designed to be launched and recovered from beaches by a specially built tractor and carriage system. Alongside it is the D-class inshore lifeboat Dr Barbara Saunderson, a fast, nimble boat used close to shore, among the rocks and in shallow water.
Famous Rescues
The station's crews have received several RNLI gallantry medals. In 1919 coxswain John Owen won a Bronze Medal after the lifeboat Theodore Price rescued the two-man crew of the schooner Ada Mary in a north-westerly gale. Further Bronze Medals followed in 1974 and for the station's response to the Towyn and Pensarn floods of 1990. More recently the crew carried out an epic rescue lasting around 18 hours, some 34 miles offshore, to free a couple whose boat was caught in fishing nets, and the inshore crew once helped free a humpback whale tangled in ropes off Rhos-on-Sea. Former coxswain Dan Jones was awarded an MBE in 2011 for his service.
Visiting the Station
You will find the boathouse on the promenade at Craig-y-Don, an easy walk from Venue Cymru. The RNLI often opens its stations to visitors and runs open days and fundraising events, so check the RNLI Llandudno station page for current opening and events before you go. If you see a launch, keep well clear of the slipway and the tractor.
In an emergency at the coast, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard. Never go into the water to rescue a person or a dog yourself.
While you are at this end of the bay, explore the rest of Craig-y-Don or carry on towards the Little Orme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Llandudno lifeboat station?
The RNLI boathouse is on the promenade at Craig-y-Don, at the eastern end of Llandudno Bay. It replaced the old station on Lloyd Street in 2017.
What lifeboats are at Llandudno?
The station has a Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat, the William F. Yates, and a D-class inshore lifeboat, the Dr Barbara Saunderson.
When did Llandudno get a lifeboat?
Llandudno's first lifeboat arrived in 1861, when the station opened as the Ormes Head Lifeboat Station.