Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station is located on the north side of the harbour, in Staithes, a village approximately north-west of Whitby, in the county of North Yorkshire, England.
Staithes Lifeboat Station was established in 1875 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). It has been closed for two periods between 1922 and 1978, due to a decline in the fishing industry, and the availability of local crew. Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station was re-established in 1978 as an Inshore lifeboat station.
The station currently operates a Inshore lifeboat, Sheila & Dennis Tongue III (B-897), on station since 2016.
A lifeboat was first placed at , just to the south of Staithes, in 1866. The RNLI had wished to station a lifeboat in Staithes by 1870, but had given up on the idea as there was a lack of suitable locations to site the lifeboat house.
In 1874, a wealthy donation, and a codicil in a will of a benefactor that stipulated that a lifeboat be stationed at Staithes, enabled the RNLI to press ahead with its plans. The crew used an old alum warehouse as a temporary lifeboat house, until one was built by the RNLI.
The lifeboat house was built at Staithes in 1875, and later modified in 1910. Both Staithes and lifeboat stations operated side by side, but a lack of crew, and a decline in the fishing fleet at Staithes, brought about the closure of Staithes in 1922.
The station was re-opened in 1928 after the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries installed a harbour and breakwaters. This created a resurgence in fishing from Staithes, and the RNLI once again provided a lifeboat. The resurgence was short lived however, and the station closed again in 1938.
In January 1978, the site was used as a test-bed for the new lifeboats. After an acceptance trial, it was decided to re-open the station at Staithes.
Staithes lifeboat station officially re-opened on 17 June 1978, with closing on 30 June 1978. The station, now named Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station, had been operational since April 1978, when the first new ILB had been sent for trials. The Staithes lifeboat occupied the same station that had been built in 1875; this building is now grade II listed.
The lifeboat house is on a stretch of land known as the "Cowbar" and the slipway gentle curves towards the bay allowing the lifeboat to be launched by a tractor.
The people of Runswick Bay later instituted their own Independent lifeboat, which is known as the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat (RBRB). By 1984, the RBRB was fully accredited with the coastguard and is part of the overall response to emergencies in the north east region, being seen as a complement to the RNLI services, not competing or hindering them.
The station has a yearly Lifeboat Weekend. The event sees a nightgown parade, a fireworks display and demonstrations at sea, and usually has over 2,000 people attending. The event is held across both villages of Staithes and Runswick.
Also occurring yearly is an auction held in the Cod and Lobster public house in the village, raising money for the RNLI lifeboat in the village. In 2023, the auction raised ã6,050 for the Staithes and Runswick RNLI lifeboat.
The following are awards made at Staithes and Runswick.
In memory of those lost whilst serving the Staithes and Runswick lifeboat.