- Tenby Pier is in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
- Lifeboat station pier on the South Wales coast
- Check access, weather and local guidance before travelling.
About Tenby Pier
Tenby's pier is the lifeboat station pier on the Pembrokeshire coast, a working RNLI structure rather than a pleasure pier, perched on Castle Beach beside the town's historic harbour. It is one of the most photographed lifeboat stations in Wales and a reminder of the treacherous waters of the Bristol Channel.
The story of Tenby Pier
A lifeboat station was first established at Tenby in 1852 by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society, which acquired a 28-foot lifeboat named Grace Darling, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth at a cost of £125. On 7 December 1854 management of the station passed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which built a new lifeboat house beside Castle Beach in 1862. In 1905 the RNLI constructed a larger boathouse and slipway with rollers on the north side of Castle Hill, which became a Tenby landmark for a century. A D-class inshore lifeboat was added in 1972, with its own boathouse built on the harbour in 1976. A striking modern lifeboat station was built in 2005 to house the new Tamar-class all-weather lifeboat, the Haydn Miller, which came on station in 2006. Among notable rescues, the 1953 crew saved seven men from St Govan's lightship during a storm, earning coxswain Thomas Richards a silver medal.
Visiting with care
The lifeboat station and slipway can be viewed from Castle Beach and the harbour, and the RNLI shop is open to visitors in season. Tenby itself is a walled medieval harbour town, and the station sits beside the ruins of Tenby Castle and the path to Castle Beach, making it a natural stop on a walk around the town.
Interesting facts
- Founded in 1852 by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society, passing to the RNLI in 1854.
- The first lifeboat was named Grace Darling, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth for £125.
- The 1905 boathouse and slipway on Castle Hill served as a Tenby landmark for a century.
- A 1953 rescue of seven men from St Govan's lightship earned coxswain Thomas Richards a silver medal.
Getting there
Parking and access details — check locally for the latest information.