The 1st Angle Lifeboat Station was built in 1869 after Inspecting Commander Harvey R.N of the Milford Division of the coastguard, wrote requesting a lifeboat station within the Milford Haven. Originally called the Milford Lifeboat Station, it was completed at a cost of £170-4-0d to house the 10 oared "Katherine". In 1887 a new, longer, boat the "Henry Martin Harvey" was delivered requiring a longer slipway which was constructed at a cost of £610. The official name of the station was changed to Angle in 1892. in 1926 it was decided to build a new lifeboat station further to the north around Angle Point (NPRN 419978) and in 1927 this building ceased to be used as a lifeboat station.

The station is built of roughly worked and coursed red sandstone with ashlar limestone forming the dressings to the door and window openings, the quions and 4/5 base courses to the walls. The building consists of the main boathouse measuring some 12.20 x 5.15m internally, and a smaller extension at the southern end, measuring 4.20 x 3.10m. This was added at the same time as the reconstruction of the slipway in 1887 and is built of the same red sandstone with ashlar dressings to the door and window openings but without the same attention to quoining and foundations.

Within the main boatshed are the remains of support blocks at the southern end (probably for the boat rest) and part of the slipway at the northern end, including a section of timber. The remains of iron fittings in the concrete floor of the south extension indicate the likely position of a winch. The interior is cement rendered, with a line indicating the level of a gallery/walkway to either side which would have accessed the boat at deck level. On the east side is a short set of steps down to the level of the slipway, and the interior is light by four flt-headed windows, two to the west elevation and two to the east. The north wall has a full width opening, and surviving parts of a cast iron rail to the base of the exterior indicate that there were large sliding doors. There are the remains of an ashlar limestone and concrete base for the slipway at the north end of the building and at three further substantial stone & concrete supports are located at approximately 5.60-5.80m intervals to the north, with more ephemeral remains of 2/3 more carrying on out to the north.

S. Fielding 14/03/2014

A full description of the history of the building and its structure, in 1997, is described in the report by Neil Ludlow (below).

The site was visited by the RCAHMW on 19/09/2024 to undertake a photogrammetry survey of the building (link below). The eastern main wall, and all of the walls of the 1887 extension were found to have been destroyed and the rubble from them was scattered around and within the boathouse. This destruction had taken place since the RCAHMW visit in 2014.

J. Whitewright, 26/09/2024 

Sources Include:

Dyfed Historic Environment Record PRN 33850: https://archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/report/page.php?watprn=DAT33850

Dyfed Historic Environment Record PRN 54457: https://archwilio.org.uk/her/chi3/report/page.php?watprn=DAT54457

Ludlow, N., 1997. The Old Lifeboat Station, Angle, Pembrokeshire, PRN 33850. Historical Summary and Structural Description. Prepared for Pembrokeshire County Council by CAMBRIA Archaeology. 

RCAHMW Photogrammetry Survey, 19/09/2024: https://skfb.ly/pqYvW

www.anglelifeboat.org