Dover Lifeboat Station

Dover Lifeboat Station is located at New Marina Curve in Dover, a town and major ferry port, Port of Dover, which sits facing Calais, France, across the Strait of Dover, on the south-east coast of the English county of Kent.

A lifeboat station was first established at Dover in 1837, by the Dover Humane and Shipwreck Institution. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1855.

The station currently operates a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-09 City of London II (ON 1220), on station since 1997.

In a report to the House of Commons, 1,573 vessels were reported stranded or wrecked off Dover between 1833 and 1835, with 1,714 persons drowned.

The 'Dover Humane and Shipwreck Institution' was established, and a self-righting lifeboat was commissioned from local shipbuilder Elvin. A 37-foot (11m) self-righting 'Puling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (12) oars, was placed on service in 1837, kept near North's Battery, and was in operation until 1853.

A replacement lifeboat was commissioned in 1853, built by Mr T. C. Clarkson of London. A smaller boat, 28-feet long, rowing 6 oars, and weighing just 27cwt. Two years later, the RNLI was invited to take over the management of the Dover lifeboat, which was agreed. The Clarkson lifeboat was modified to the standards of the Peake-class lifeboats.

In 1866, a boathouse was constructed at the western end of the Esplanade, at a cost of £244. A clock tower was built alongside, complete in 1877. However, in 1893, building work for the Dover Harbour of Refuge was started. To make way for the new pier, the clock tower was moved, and the lifeboat house was demolished, and replaced. The former boathouse at the Dover Western Docks has been designated a Grade II listed building, along with the adjacent clock tower.

In September 1914, following the outbreak of war, the station was forced to close due to difficulties maintaining a crew for the lifeboat.

The station re-opened in 1919, with a new steam lifeboat called James Stevens No. 3 placed on station. Built in 1898, this single propeller lifeboat was one of only six steam driven lifeboats, designed to be ready to steam immediately, at all times. However, the lifeboat still took at least 20 minutes to get up to steam, and required a large technical crew to keep her boilers fired. It was launched only five times before the station was closed again in 1922.

With increased shipping and the advent of air traffic, the RNLI realised that a lifeboat station in Dover would again be required, and in 1929 a new boathouse was opened in the Eastern Docks at Camber. The re-opened station was supplied with a new faster lifeboat. The Sir William Hillary (ON 725), named after the founder of the RNLI, arrived on station in 1930 and was powered by twin 375 horsepower petrol engines with a top speed of 17.25 Knots. This was almost twice the speed of the rest of the RNLI’s fleet of lifeboats, most of which were capable of 9 Knots. The Dover station operated from this location until the Second World War. At the time of the Dunkirk evacuation the Sir William Hillary was away having a refit and overhaul. The relief lifeboat Agnes Cross (ON 663) remained at Dover until 1941, when the station closed again for the duration of the War.

It would be 1947 before post-war lifeboat operations recommenced at Dover, the station re-locating to the former Motor Torpedo Boat pens in the East Docks area. The rapid expansion of the Dover ferry terminal in the 1980s saw the lifeboat station move again, to the Tug Haven situated in the inner harbour across from the Cross Wall Quay.

In the late 1990s, work began on a new station, built on Cross Wall Quay. Construction was completed in 2000, and the station began operating in August 2001. The legacy left to the RNLI helped fund the £513,000 cost of the building. The station was in use for 23 years.

As part of the Port of Dover Western Docks redevelopment, it was decided to relocate the lifeboat station from Cross Wall Quay, located in the Inner Harbour, to the New Marina Curve. The lifeboat is now located in the Outer Harbour, providing faster access to open water.

The building was designed by Studio 4 architects to be as environmentally friendly as possible, with a Glulam timber-frame, ground source heating and solar panels. The move was announced in 2022 and construction started in February 2023. It was completed early the following year. The official opening was on 22 June 2024.

Among the awards won by Dover's crews over the years are 19 RNLI medals for bravery, 6 silver and 13 bronze, the last being awarded in 1998.

The following are awards made at Dover

• RNLI Silver Medal

Major Henry Scott, Chairman of the Dover Branch – 1882

James Woodgate, Coxswain – 1891

James Woodgate, Coxswain – 1893 (Second-Service clasp)

Colin H. Bryant, Coxswain – 1940

Arthur Liddon, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1976

Roy William Couzens, Acting Coxswain – 1988

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Sidney T. Hills, Second Coxswain – 1940

Wilfred L. Cook, Mechanic – 1940

Christian R. T. Stock, Second Mechanic – 1940

Lt. Richard Walker, RNR, Assistant King’s Harbour Master – 1940

John Walker, Coxswain – 1951

John Walker, Coxswain – 1956 (Second-Service clasp)

Anthony George Hawkins, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1976

Michael Frederick Abbott, Acting Assistant Mechanic/Emergency Coxswain – 1988

Geoffrey Ian Buckland, crew member – 1988

Dominic William McHugh, crew member – 1988

Christopher William Ryan, crew member – 1988

Robert John Bruce, crew member – 1988

Eric St.John Tanner, crew member – 1988

• The Maud Smith Award 1987
  (for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)

Roy Couzens, Acting Coxswain – 1988

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Richard John Hawkins, Second Assistant Mechanic – 1976

John James Smith, crew member – 1976

Gordon David, crew member – 1976

Arthur Liddon, Coxswain Mechanic – 1977

Anthony George Hawkins, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1977

Anthony George Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1981

Anthony George Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1992

David Pascall, crew member – 1992

Rodney Goldsack, crew member – 1992

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

G. V. James, crew member – 1979

Anthony George Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1982

Dover Lifeboat Crew – 1982

Anthony George Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1985

Dover Lifeboat Crew and Shore helpers – 1985

The crews of the motor launches Darg, Denise and of the tug Dextrous – 1985

Anthony G Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1993

• A Special Certificate on Vellum

Dr Sotiris Mantoudis – 1977

Dr Peter Welch, honorary medical adviser – 1981

• Plaque awarded by The Seafarers International Union in New York

Dover Lifeboat Station – 1952

• Testimonials by the Royal Humane Society

Henry Pegg, Motor Mechanic – 1954

W. Wilfred Cook, a travelling mechanic of the Institution – 1954

• A letter of commendation

Dover Lifeboat Station – 1966

• A Letter of Appreciation signed by the Director

The Coxswain and crew – 1979

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Anthony George Hawkins, Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic – 1998QBH

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Station Closed 1914–1919

Station Closed 1922–1930

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

• Dover Lifeboat Station