Palling Lifeboat Station

{{Infobox building

| name = Palling Lifeboat Station

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| image_caption = Palling Lifeboat Station.

| map_type = Norfolk

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| map_caption = Palling, Norfolk

| location =

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| location_city = Sea Palling, Norfolk

| location_country = England

| coordinates = {{coord|52|47|20.5|N|1|36|11.0|E|display=inline,title}}

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| status = Closed

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| building_type = Lifeboat Station

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| opened_date = NASLSM 1852, RNLI 1858, Ind. 1972

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| closing_date = RNLI 1930

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Palling Lifeboat Station was located at the town of Palling, on the north-east coast of Norfolk.

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Norfolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners (NASLSM) in 1852. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1858.{{cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=Richie |last2=Denton |first2=Tony |title=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025 |date=2025 |publisher=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society |page=117}}

After 78 years of operations, Palling RNLI Lifeboat Station closed in 1930.{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2025|pp=117}}

In 1972, a rescue service was re-established at Sea Palling by local people, through monies raised from private, business and charitable donations. Today the renamed charitable Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat is on operation, covering the area between Eccles-on-Sea and Winterton-on-Sea.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-18366152|title=Sea Palling independent lifeboat crew back on duty|publisher=BBC News|date=9 June 2012|accessdate=2012-08-20}}

For further information on the current service, please see:

Palling Volunteer Rescue Service

History

A lifeboat was sent to be stationed at Palling in 1852 by the Norfolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners. She was a 32-foot {{Lbb|Palmer}} type non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Branford, of Gt. Yarmouth, costing £75.{{cite book |last1=Morris |first1=Jeff |title=Palling Lifeboat 1852-1930 |date=September 2007 |publisher=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society |pages=1–58}}

In 1857, the NASLSM made a request, that the RNLI take over responsibility for all their lifeboat stations, including Palling. This was formally agreed in 1858. A new lifeboat was ordered for Palling from Forrestt of Limehouse, London, a 30-foot 10-oared {{Lbc|Peake}} self-righting lifeboat, and along with her specially constructed carriage, cost just over £250. Edward Amis was appointed Coxswain. She was housed in the boathouse built by the NASLSM, and would serve Palling for 6 years, being launched on service 6 times, and saving 20 lives.

The next lifeboat to be stationed at Palling was the Parsee. Originally a 30-foot lifeboat stationed at {{Lbs|Hastings}} named Victoria, she was sent to Forrestt in London for conversion to be a 36-foot, 12-oared boat. She was transported to Gt. Yarmouth in February 1864 free of charge by the Great Eastern Railway Company, and then sailed up to Palling by the crew. In her 18 years on service at Palling, she rescued 103 lives in 23 launches.

On her first call on 23 December 1864, the Parsee went to the aid of the schooner Idas of Nantes, on passage from Danzig to Dunkirk, driven ashore at Palling. Six men were rescued.{{Cite news |title=Mercantile Ship News |newspaper=The Standard |location=London |date=12 January 1865 |issue=12614 |page=7 }}

Parsee was replaced by a new boat in 1882, the Heyland (ON 38), built by Woolfe of Shadwell. The boat was provided from funds raised in the memory of Lt. Heyland, RN, lost rescuing a seaman from H.M.S. Minotaur. But weighing 4 tons, she proved too heavy for the sandy conditions at Palling, and was soon replaced by Good Hope (ON 13) in 1884; again a 37-foot boat built by Woolfe, but weighing only 3 tons.

The No.2 station was closed in 1929. Motor-powered lifeboats had been placed on service at {{Lbs|Cromer}}, 20 miles to the north, and {{Lbs|Gorleston}}, 20 miles to the south, and it soon followed that the decision was made to close the No.1 station. This happened on 29 October 1930, with the removal of the lifeboat Jacob and Rachel Valentine (ON 580).{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2025|pp=117}}

The parish of "Palling" was renamed "Sea Palling" on 2 October 1948.{{cite web |url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/north%20walsham.html |title=North Walsham Registration District |publisher=UKBMD |access-date=26 March 2024}}

Notable rescues

At 4:30am on the 7 Mar 1907, Palling No.1 lifeboat 54th West Norfolk Regiment (ON 471) launched to the aid of the vessel Vixen. In pitch-black gale force conditions, the lifeboat managed to rescue 5 crew, but one man was left clinging to the rigging, cold, and unable to climb down by himself.

The Master re-boarded the Vixen along with lifeboat crewman James Pestell. Pestell then climbed the rigging, and with the assistance of the Master, brought the man to the waiting lifeboat. With two of the party now on board, the lifeboat was hit by a large wave, and washed away from the wreck, leaving Pestell alone on the stricken vessel. Finally, the lifeboat returned, and Pestell was taken on board.

For this service, James Pestell Jnr. was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.{{cite book |last1=Cox |first1=Barry |title=Lifeboat Gallantry |date=1998 |publisher=Spink & Son Ltd |isbn=0907605893}}

Station honours

The following are awards made at Palling.

RNLI Silver Medal

::Edward Amis, Coxswain – 1870

::Walter Pestell, Coxswain – 1893

::Thomas Bishop, Acting Coxswain – 1894

::Walter Pestell, Coxswain – 1899 (Second Service Clasp)

::James Pestell, Jnr, crew member – 1907

Palling lifeboats

= No.1 Station =

class="wikitable"

! ON{{efn|name=ON|ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.}}

! Name

! {{nowrap|On Station}}{{sfn|Leonard|Denton|2025|pp=6–39}}

! Class

! Comments

−

| {{small|Unnamed}}

| 1852−1858

| 32-foot Palmer

| (NASLSM)
32-foot (10-oared) Palmer-class non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Branford of Great Yarmouth, costing £75.

Pre-322

| {{small|Unnamed}}

| 1858−1864

| 30-foot Peake

| 30-foot (10-oared) Peake-class Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £179-8s-2d.

Pre-314

| Parsee

| 1864−1882

| 36-foot Self-righting (P&S)

| 36-foot Self-righting lifeboat. Previously Victoria at {{Lbs|Hastings}}. Extended to 36-foot, 12-oared for Palling

| Heyland

| 1882−1884

| 37-foot Self-righting (P&S)

| 37-foot 12-oared Self-righting lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell

| Good Hope

| 1884−1900

| 37-foot 5in Self-righting (P&S)

| 37-foot 5in 12-oared Self-righting lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell

471

| 54th West Norfolk Regiment

| 1901−1926

| 37-foot 6in Self-righting (P&S)

| 37-foot 6in 12-oared Self-righting lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of London

580

| Jacob and Rachel Valentine

| 1926−1930

| 34-foot Self-righting Rubie

| 34-foot 12-oared Self-righting lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of London, formerly at Haisborough

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