Our Heritage and Souvenir Shop

Based in the boathouse at Anchor Head, our Souvenir Shop also houses our Heritage Centre.

Constructed in 1972, the Anchor Head Boathouse was built in case we had to vacate the Birbeck Island Boathouse, following the threat of an increase in the peppercorn rent, from one shilling to £10,000.   A D-Class Lifeboat was trialed at Anchor Head and a hand operated crane was installed close to the wall outside the larger of the two cafes at Anchor Head to lower it onto the Public Boating Slipway below.

The RNLI took QC's advice and fought the proposed increase and eventually won the day and no rent increase was implemented. The D-Class Lifeboat was never "Launched on Service" from this site and after the Rent Issue was sorted it was decided to use the Boathouse for the selling of souvenirs to help raise funds for the RNLI, but with the proviso that it should always remain as an Operational Boathouse should it ever be required in the future.

Several of the Crew assisted in the construction of Anchor Head Boathouse under the leadership of the then RNLI Shoreworks Manager for the South Division, Mr Victor Trenearey from Ashburton in Devon.

Others pictured in the photo who assisted in the construction include Pete Holder 4th from left, (now Lifeboat Operations Manager for Weston), Fred Payne, Mike Hawkings, and John Watts Jnr. Also present are Nicholas White and the late Terry Green who was the Station Honorary Secretary/Launching Authority (now known as LOM) at the time.