Wells Lifeboat  RNLI Lifeboats Wells Norfolk UK
Wells Lifeboat

Safety Advice

Wells Beach Safety leaflet

The sands to the west of Wells harbour entrance now quickly get cut off by the incoming tide.

People walking out on the sands by the water's edge to the west of Wells harbour entrance at low water can easily be cut off when the tide starts to come in. This particularly effects people walking along the foreshore from Holkham beach or those walking right out across the sand down the side of the harbour channel from Wells beach.

Make sure you come back to the main beach when the siren sounds, the water starts to flow into the harbour or four hours before the time of the next high water! See our Sea Saftey Advice page for more information and tide times.

3D Tour

3D virtual tour of the new Wells Lifeboat Station

Explore the new boathouse and Shannon lifeboat

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RNLI Wells Lifesavers Fund

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Welcome to RNLI Wells

The RNLI Lifeboat Station in Wells-next-the-Sea houses an all-weather lifeboat and an inshore lifeboat to save lives and assist with emergencies around Wells and off the North Norfolk coast. Manned by volunteer crews, the boats are ready to launch within minutes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This website will tell you more about the station and give you a taste of what we do and the traditions of the lifeboat service.

Shop Opening Times

Our new shop, visitor information centre and public viewing gallery are open Fridays-Mondays from 10-4 plus some additional weekdays... see below for latest info.

The shop is open!

Shop and viewing gallery open 10-4 Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays

Safety Warning!

A new sandbar means people walking by the water's edge to the west of Wells harbour entrance at low water can easily be cut off when the tide starts to come in. This particularly effects people walking along the foreshore from Holkham beach or those walking right out across the sand down the side of the harbour channel from Wells beach. Make sure you come back to the main beach when the siren sounds, the water starts to flow into the channel or four hours before the time of the next high water! See our Sea Saftey Advice page for more information and tide times.

Recent Services

24 February 2024
15:46

Humber Coastguard paged the inshore lifeboat after Wells NCI Coastwatch reported two persons and three dogs cut off by the tide to the west of Wells harbour entrance. The ILB launched promptly from the boathouse and took the people and their dogs on-board at 16:02. With no medical attention required, the party was dropped on the beach to the east of the boathouse to return to the beach car park. The ILB was rehoused and ready again for service by 16:45.

Safety advice The sands beyond the main beach at the side of the harbour channel quickly become cut off when the tide comes in... if you are walking out beside the channel or along the foreshore from Holkham at low water, please be sure to return to the main beach, with no gullies or low sand with water in between you and the beach huts, around four hours before the time of the next high water. Tide times are displayed in the beach car park and at the Coastwatch hut or are available in printed tide tables or on-line.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind S2 Sea Slight

23 February 2024
18:24

Following a 999 call, the inshore lifeboat was paged to two teenagers cut off by a spring tide with a half-metre surge at Blakeney. The ILB with a crew of three launched from the main ramp at the boathouse at 18:34 and proceeded to Blakeney harbour. Approaching Blakeney New Cut, local coastguard on-scene, who by now had the persons in view, guided the boat to their location on marsh to the north of the bridge and dinghy park adjacent to the cut. The ILB took the two on-board at 19:05 and dropped them into the care of the coastguard at the carnser car park. The two were well apart from being cold. The ILB returned to station at 19:38 and was made ready again for service by 20:06.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind S3 Sea Slight

4 February 2024
12:23

The inshore lifeboat was paged to a report of persons cut off on the sandbars to the west of Wells harbour entrance. As the boat was launching, it became clear from the boathouse that the persons would be able to walk off without assistance and the crew were stood down.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind SW2 Sea Slight

Latest News

Station tour dates for 2024

Tue 6 Feb 2024

Our volunteer guides have posted dates for more boathouse tours in 2024. These are free 50 minute visits which take small groups around the lifeboat station and explain our work and chat about the boats and equipment we use. There are four tours per month up to September and tours must be booked in advance using the EventBrite link below. 

Please note that you can usually come in and see both lifeboats from the viewing gallery whenever the shop is open (generally Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 10-4 with additional days when we can) and that we are sometimes able to have the big doors at the front of the boathouse open in good weather so that Launch A Memory donors can see and get a picture with the names on the bow of the all-weather lifeboat. So you can usually get to see the boats and names if you are in Wells at the weekend and don't have to wait for a tour.

That said, the tours are popular so book on the link below soon if you'd like a spot... we look forward to seeing you!

  Book a boathouse tour


See all news...

Wells RNLI 200th Anniversary events

Celebrating 200 years

1st-7th March 2024
Join us in marking 200 years since the founding of the RNLI with events at Wells Maltings and around the town. Exhibition runs from 1st to 7th March with events from 1st to 3rd including quiz (Friday night), Welly Walk around town (Sat and Sunday), crafts, talks and film (Saturday), lifeboat launch and run up to quay and Blakeney Old Wild Rovers (Sunday). For details, see events listing or Wells Maltings.

Wells RNLI 200th Exhibition
Exhibition at the Maltings 1st-7th March
Wells RNLI 200th Lifeboat Horse scuplture
Lifeboat Horse marking 200 years in the quay

Shop Opening Times

Our new shop, visitor information centre and public viewing gallery are open weekends from Friday to Monday and some extra weekdays from 10-4. Over the summer in good weather, the main boathouse doors may also be open. See below for latest times or our visits page for more information.

The shop is open!

Shop and viewing gallery open 10-4 Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays

Shannon lifeboat
and boathouse build

New boathouse build

Wells RNLI is now operating from the new building. See the boathouse build pages for the story of how the new station was built.

Our new Shannon lifeboat was funded in part with a station appeal for £250,000 in 2014-15 and also by the Civil Service charity The Lifeboat Fund with its 150th Anniversary Appeal. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has donated, fund-raised, helped and supported us both locally and across the UK and further afield.

Exercise Launches

You are welcome to watch the lifeboats launch on exercise from a safe distance on the beach bank or beach; please keep clear of the boats and launching vehicles and keep children and dogs under supervision. Exercises are roughly every two weeks and we try to post dates and times in advance when we can. All dates are subject to change or cancellation at short notice for operational reasons.

Sunday 24 Mar 2024 09:30
Launch & Recovery on Holkham beach

Sunday 7 Apr 2024 08:30
Regular exercise

Thursday 25 Apr 2024 18:30
Regular exercise

Thursday 9 May 2024 18:30
Regular exercise

Thursday 23 May 2024 18:30
Regular exercise

Saturday 8 Jun 2024 08:30
ILB attending Norfolk Superhero Challenge

Sunday 9 Jun 2024 08:30
ALB exercise

Sunday 23 Jun 2024 08:30
Regular exercise

Launch A Memory Wells
 

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The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity, registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). This website is managed and maintained by local volunteers at Wells-next-the-Sea Lifeboat Station and is not the main RNLI site. All text and images copyright (C)2005-2021 RNLI Wells Lifeboat Station, or as indicated, and may not be downloaded, copied or reproduced elsewhere without prior permission of the station or the relevant copyright holder. Site Manager