Wells Lifeboat RNLI Lifeboats Wells Norfolk UK
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Wells Beach
Safety Warning!

Wells Beach Safety leaflet

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

Make sure you are back on dry land or the main beach FOUR HOURS BEFORE high water!

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 catches out 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 four hours before the time of the next high water, when the siren sounds or if you see the water start to flow into the harbour or start covering the beach. See our Sea Saftey Advice page for more information and tide times. Tide times are also displayed on the NCI Coastwatch Hut as you come onto Wells beach and on the toilet block in the car park.

3D Tour

3D virtual tour of the new Wells Lifeboat Station

Explore the new boathouse and Shannon lifeboat

Launch A Memory Wells
 

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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.

Cut off on Stiffkey marshes

The inshore lifeboat goes to rescue people cut off by a large spring tide on Stiffkey marshes, 30 March 2025

Shop Opening Times


The shop is open!

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

Our shop and viewing platform are normally open Fridays-Mondays from 10-4 plus additional days in the holidays and whenever we can (see above for latest info). In good weather, the main boathouse door may be open so you can view the all-weather lifeboat from the front.

Wells Beach Safety Warning!

People on the sands near 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 affects people walking along the foreshore from Holkham beach and 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 four hours before the time of the next high water, when the siren sounds or if you see water flowing into the harbour or starting to cover the beach. 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

Recent Services

29 June 2025
14:53

The inshore lifeboat was paged to search for an 11-year-old boy reported missing on the foreshore in the vicinity of East Hills. On arrival at the boathouse, the crew were met by the boy's father who reported that his son had been reunited with other members of his family. Once this was confirmed and it was certain that the boy was safe and well, the lifeboat was stood down at 15:25 without launching.
27 June 2025
18:31

The Inshore Lifeboat was called to assist a lone male child cut off by the tide in Wells Harbour. The location was given as opposite the lifeboat house and the child could be clearly seen standing on the berm on the northside of the harbour channel approximtely 200m north-west of the boathouse. The ILB launched at 18:42 and arrived with the casualty two minutes later just the as the tide was covering the berm. He was taken onboard and returned safely to his family on the main beach at 18:47.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W3 Sea Slight

23 June 2025
14:23

The Inshore Lifeboat launched at 14:32 to assist two persons and a dog cut off on the sandbank to the west of Wells harbour entrance. The ILB was quickly on-scene and ferried the party, safe and well, back to the boathouse at 14:48. The lifeboat was rehoused and ready again for service by 15:10

Weather Part Cloudy Visibility Good Wind NW5 Sea Slight

22 June 2025
13:57

Wells Inshore Lifeboat was tasked by Humber Coastguard to rescue six persons cut off by the tide on the seaward sand bank that forms part of Wells beach to the west of the harbour channel. The ILB launched from the north slipway at 14:07 and was quickly on-scene. Two of the six persons had managed to make their own way ashore and the ILB took the remaining four on-board and brought them back safe and well to the boathouse. Before coming ashore, the ILB undertook a quick sweep of the area to made sure it was clear of anyone likely to get into similar difficulty. The lifeboat was rehoused and ready again for service by 14:40.

Weather Part Cloudy Visibility Good Wind SW5 Sea Smooth

21 June 2025
11:43

Both RNLI Wells Inshore Lifeboat and the RNLI Hunstanton Hovercraft were called to attend approximately 30 persons cut off by the incoming tide on a sandbank offshore at Brancaster. Wells ILB launched from the boathouse with a crew of three at 11:54 and it seemed likely with a very busy beach on a hot, sunny day that there might soon be a similar incident at Wells. The ILB arrived at Brancaster at 12:10 by which time most of the people had waded or swum ashore and the Hunstanton Lifeboat had ferried 10 others back to safety. En-route, the ILB stopped and spoke with two persons cut off on the north side of Scolt Head island who advised they were walking to the eastern end of the island where they intended to be picked up by the Scolt Head ferry. The ILB was released at 12:20 while the hovercraft made one further sweep before also setting off for home. At 12:24, Humber Coastguard contacted the ILB to report that Wells NCI Coastwatch had reported multiple persons cut off on the sandbank to the west of Wells harbour entrance. Some of these people could be seen from the boathouse swimming or wading off but others seemed unaware of their situation. The ILB arrived at 12:40 and began systematically clearing the sandbanks, carrying 7 adults, 3 children and 2 dogs to the main beach, advising others to move off and watching to ensure people wading or swimming got back safely. At 13:10, it was agreed that no further members of the public were in danger and the inshore lifeboat was released to return to station. It was recovered and rehoused and made ready again for service by 14:00.

Weather Part cloudy Visibility Good Wind SE4 Sea Slight

16 June 2025
20:31

Shortly after the previous incident, Humber Coastguard requested the inshore lifeboat to assist one person cut off by the incoming tide on the sandbar to the west of Wells harbour entrance. The ILB launched from the north ramp at 20:41 and arrived at the casualty at 20.44. The person was taken on-board and dropped back safe and sound on the beach by Wells boathouse at 20.50. The ILB was recovered and rehoused and made ready again for service by 21:15.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind SE2 Sea Smooth

16 June 2025
18:20

Wells Inshore Lifeboat was tasked by Humber Coastguard 18:20 to assist a diabetic person who has become hypoglycaemic on the foreshore at Burnham Overy. The ILB left the boathouse at 18:32 for a low water launch in Holkham Bay at 17:44. Both the lifeboat and the Softrak launch and recovery vehicle then proceeded west towards the reported position of the casualty. As the ILB arrived to seaward of the harbour entrance at 18:50, it was ascertained that the casualty had managed to normalise his condition and had left the scene of his own accord without requiring any further assistance. With no further support required, both the ILB and the Softrak as well as the Hunstanton Hovercraft which had also been sent, were stood down at 19:00. The ILB was recovered with the Softrak in Holkham Bay at 19:12 and returned to the boathouse to be washed down and rehoused by 20:15.

Weather Part cloudy Visibility Good Wind SW2 Sea Slight

14 June 2025
19:10

The inshore lifeboat was paged to reports of two or three persons cut off by the flood tide in Blakeney Pit. It was thought they may have sought refuge on a boat moored in the vicinity. The ILB with a crew of three quickly launched from the boathouse but shortly after crossing Wells bar, Humber Coastguard informed the lifeboat that the stranded persons had in the interim been picked up by a passing craft and ferried to safety. The ILB was stood down and returned to station where it was washed down and rehoused.

Weather Part cloudy Visibility Good Wind W4 Sea Slight

11 June 2025
14:35

Wells all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch to rendezvous with Skegness Lifeboat and take over the tow of a disabled yacht Fantastic Feeling which had lost steerage due to a broken rudder off the Lincolnshire coast. Wells Lifeboat launched from the low water launch point on Holkham Beach at 15:10 and met up with Skegness Lifeboat and the yacht at 15:39. Due to the sea conditions, Skegness continued with the tow southwards for a while before the tow was safely transferred to Wells at 15:50. The yacht taken towards Wells Harbour, arriving just as the first of the evening tide was making to allow entry into the harbour. The yacht was taken up to the quay and safely moored on the pontoons 18:15. The lifeboat returned to station for recovery at the boathouse at 19:05 and was washed down, rehoused and made ready again for service by 19:30.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind S5 Sea Slight/Moderate

Securing the tow to the yacht <I>Fantastic Feeling</i>, 11/6/25

Securing the tow to the yacht Fantastic Feeling, 11/6/25

Yacht safely under tow with Skegness Lifeboat alongside prior to departing, 11/6/25

Yacht safely under tow with Skegness Lifeboat alongside prior to departing, 11/6/25

Latest News

Dangerous sands to the west of Wells harbour entrance

Mon 12 May 2025

In the last few years it has become dangerous to walk right out onto the sands by Wells harbour entrance channel at low tide, either from the main beach and beach huts down the side of the harbour channel or along the foreshore and edge of the sea from Holkham beach. While it looks tempting, there is a series of undulating sandbars and when the tide returns, it will fill the low lying areas and drains from both ends before covering the sandbars, If you're standing out just to the west of the harbour entrance, the sea will come in behind you and you'll find yourself trapped on an island of sand that will soon be covered entirely.

In this new video, our sea safety officer walks out by the harbour channel as the tide comes in and is rapidly surrounded by water.

Our inshore lifeboat has been called to people trapped here 6 times already this year.

To avoid the risk, stay away from this area or make sure you come back to the main beach four hours before high water, if you hear the siren sound or see the tide flowing into the harbour. Check the time of the next high tide in Wells on a tide table, on the sign on the Coastwatch lookout or on an app before venturing out... and take four hours off this time as the time you need to be safely back on the main beach.

  See our local sea safety pages for more advice and information

See all news...

The shop is open!

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

Shop Opening Times

Our shop and viewing gallery are normally open weekends from Friday to Monday 10-4 along with extra days in the holidays and whenever we can. In good weather, the main boathouse doors may also be open to view the all-weather lifeboat from the front. See our visits page for more information.

Cut off on Stiffkey marshes

The inshore lifeboat goes to rescue people cut off by a large spring tide on Stiffkey marshes, 30 March 2025

RNLI 200

The RNLI celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2024, a milestone marked nationally and by lifeboat crews and stations around the UK.
Wells RNLI 200th Lifeboat Horse scuplture
Lifeboat Horse marking 200 years in the quay

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 29 Jun 2025 09:00
Regular exercise

Saturday 5 Jul 2025 13:30
Helicopter exercise

Saturday 19 Jul 2025 12.30pm
ILB at Newfoundland Dog display

Thursday 24 Jul 2025 18:30
Regular exercise

Wednesday 6 Aug 2025 16:30
ILB display at Carnival Open Day

Sunday 10 Aug 2025 08:30
Regular exercise

Sunday 24 Aug 2025 19:00
Annual Lifeboat Service

Wednesday 10 Sep 2025 15:30
ALB low water launch for survey

Sunday 28 Sep 2025 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