The former Penlee Point Lifeboat Station, which played a crucial role in saving lives and was at the centre of one of the UK’s most tragic disasters at sea, has been given Grade II-listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.
The buildings were the base for search-and-rescue operations for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from the 19th century, but closed for active service in 1983 following the Penlee Lifeboat disaster, in which 16 people lost their lives.
On December 19, 1981, the cargo ship Union Star suffered engine failure during its maiden voyage in hurricane conditions; eight RNLI crew members manned the lifeboat Solomon Browne in an attempt to rescue the eight passengers on board. All perished, and the RNLI crew were granted rare posthumous awards for gallantry.
In an outpouring of grief, messages of sympathy poured in from around the world. The remembrance service at Paul parish church was attended by the Duchess of Kent, and the national memorial service at Truro Cathedral in 1982 was attended by then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. A disaster fund raised £3 million for the crew’s families. To this day, the Mousehole Christmas lights dim for an hour to mark the anniversary of the disaster.
All buildings are assessed for listing against rigorous criteria regarding special architectural and historical interest, and the lifeboat station scored on both counts.
Penlee Point Lifeboat Station was built between 1911 and 1913, one of the last works of RNLI architect and engineer William Tregarthen Douglass (1857-1913), a prolific and innovative designer of maritime structures. The slipway is a relatively early and almost intact example of a reinforced concrete structure of its type; this has also been granted protection, along with the 1985 memorial garden.
The station was formally opened on October 25, 1913 with the launch of the wooden lifeboat Elizabeth and Blanche II. In 1922 the lifeboat house and slipway had to be adapted to accommodate Penlee Point’s first motor lifeboat, The Brothers. Despite this, many of Penlee Point’s earlier features have survived.
The 1981 disaster happened at a time when the RNLI was developing a new lifeboat.
The Solomon Browne was a timber lifeboat, vulnerable not only to the waves and weather, but also obstacles - including the steel container ship it went to rescue. The Tyne class, in comparison, had a steel hull and was self-righting. It was launched in November 1982, and while it is unknown whether the Penlee disaster influenced the rapid implementation of the new design, it made the point that new boat technology was quickly needed.
While other stations were adapted to accommodate the larger boats, the Penlee station was moved to Newlyn. As a mark of respect, the former lifeboat station buildings were kept much as they were on December 19, 1981. They have since been maintained by a team of local RNLI volunteers.
Listings advisor Samantha Barnes conducted the on-site visits and research that resulted in the buildings being recommended for listing. “I am Cornish, and the lifeboat disaster occurred the day before my first birthday,” she said. “It’s something I’ve been aware of my whole life, and every time I read something about it, I feel rather emotional.
“But for this job, I had to have a professional hat on. Because so much survives that wasn’t altered after 1981, it’s something that was quite common at the time but isn’t today.”
Inside is a poignant reminder of those who once worked there.
“The helmets are still on the side, the oilskins hung up, the wellies in a line, the mugs and the first aid kit they would have used,” said Samantha.
“It all adds to the atmosphere and the emotive feeling. None of these are included in the listing, as they are not fixed to the building. But it’s about what they represent to people about the RNLI and the selflessness of its volunteers who go out and do that work.”
Adrian Carey, head of region for the RNLI in the South West said: “Standing quietly inside the old Penlee lifeboat station, which remains as it was in 1981, you can’t help but feel the incredible courage, determination and selflessness of the crew of the Solomon Browne. The fact that building will forever stand in testament to the sacrifice the eight crew made that night, is comforting to all those connected to Penlee RNLI and the wider RNLI community.
“The architectural interest is also significant and displays the great engineering that was at the forefront of the RNLI over 100 years ago, but also how far the charity has come over the last century in both engineering and lifeboat technology.”
Local MP Derek Thomas said: “We will always remember the heroism of the crew of the Solomon Browne. The listing of the lifeboat station at Penlee Point will ensure that there will always be a focus for our remembrance – of that brave crew, and of everyone who has volunteered to save lives at sea.”
