Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station

Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station
Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station
	Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station
	Horton & Port Eynon, Swansea, Wales
Former names	Port Eynon Lifeboat Station
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Town or city	Horton, Swansea, SA3 1LB
Country	Wales, UK
Coordinates	51°32′53.9″N 4°12′03.9″W / 51.548306°N 4.201083°W
Opened	1884 / 1968
Closed	1919
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
	Horton and Port Eynon RNLI Lifeboat Station

Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station is located at Horton Beach, just off Underhill Lane in the village of Horton, on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula, approximately 14 miles (23 km) west of Swansea.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Port Eynon in 1884 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), but was withdrawn in 1916, and closing in 1919. An Inshore lifeboat station was established at Horton in 1968.^[1]

The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) lifeboat, Barbara Jane (D-824), on station since 2018.^[2]

History

On 27 January 1883, the steamship Agnes Jack ran aground at Port Eynon Point. Villagers were helpless to do anything but watch on, as eighteen men were drowned.^[3]

On 7 February 1883, the schooner Surprise was wrecked just north of Port Eynon Point, with the loss of all seven hands.^[4]

As a result of these tragedies, the RNLI decided a lifeboat should be stationed further west than The Mumbles Lifeboat Station, and a station was opened at Port Eynon in 1884. A 34-foot self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was placed on station, and named A Daughter's Offering (ON 55).^[2]

A boathouse was constructed at the west end of Port Eynon Bay. This building is now used as a Youth Hostel by the Youth Hostel Association (YHA).^[5]^[6]

A Daughter's Offering was replaced after 22 years of service. In that time, she saved 39 lives. A new 35-foot lifeboat was placed on station in 1906, named Janet (ON 559).^[2]

Tragedy struck on 1 January 1916. Janet responded to a distress signal from the S.S. Dunvegan, and while making her way to the vessel, the lifeboat was capsized by a large wave. Although the lifeboat automatically righted itself, one crew member could not make it back onboard and drowned. Janet was then capsized again, and another two crew members were lost overboard and could not be found. The lifeboat had lost all of its oars at this point, and the remaining 10 men could do nothing but drift towards Mumbles, finally landing ashore some 30 hours after setting out..^[7] See Lifeboat Disasters

The Janet lifeboat was withdrawn, and the station closed temporarily in 1916. The lifeboat had served for 10 years, saving a total of 15 lives. However, the boat was never replaced, and the station closed permanently in 1919. A sculpture commemorating the lost crew of the Janet is in the churchyard of Port Eynon Church, and there is also a plaque inside the church.^[2]

Inshore lifeboat station

In 1968, the RNLI determined that there was a need for an Inshore lifeboat station in this area, and allocated a D-class (EA16) lifeboat, to the new Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station, based close to the beach in Horton.^[2]

On 2 July 1973, D-class Helm John Grove took the boat close inshore, through broken water and past jagged rocks, to rescue three of four people, initially stranded on Worms Head (Penrhyn-gwyr), who then decided to try and swim against the flood tide to shore. The fourth person was rescued by rocket line. He was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal.^[8]

A new boathouse to accommodate both the lifeboat and the tractor was completed in March 1992. It also included a crewroom with galley, a souvenir outlet, toilet, fuel store and a look-out tower.^[1]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Horton & Port Eynon.^[1]^[8]

RNLI Bronze Medal

John Walter Grove - 1973

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum

Charles Gwilyn Twitchett - 1973

Andrew John McNulty - 1973

John Walter Grove - 1974

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

Lawrence Grove - 1999

Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Lawrence James Grove - 2001QBH^[9]

Steven William Davies - 2015NYH^[10]^[11]

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Horton and Port Eynon lifeboat.^[1]

Lost when the lifeboat Janet (ON 559) capsized on service to the steamship Dunvegan^[12]

William Gibbs, Coxswain (66)

William Eynon, Second Coxswain (46)

George Harry (46)