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The sands to the west of Wells harbour entrance now quickly get cut off by the incoming tide.
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 effects 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 when the siren sounds, the water starts to flow into the harbour or four hours before the time of the next high water! See our Sea Saftey Advice page for more information and tide times.
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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.
Shop Opening Times
Our new shop, visitor information centre and public viewing gallery are open Fridays-Mondays from 10-4 plus some additional weekdays... see below for latest info.
Shop and viewing gallery open
10-4 Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Safety Warning!
A new sandbar means people walking 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 effects 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 when the siren sounds, the water starts to flow into the channel or four hours before the time of the next high water! See our Sea Saftey Advice page for more information and tide times.
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Safety advice The sands beyond the main beach at the side of the harbour channel quickly become cut off when the tide comes in... if you are walking out beside the channel or along the foreshore from Holkham at low water, please be sure to return to the main beach, with no gullies or low sand with water in between you and the beach huts, around four hours before the time of the next high water. Tide times are displayed in the beach car park and at the Coastwatch hut or are available in printed tide tables or on-line.
Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind S2 Sea Slight
Latest News
Riders of Charity call in at Wells
6/4/2024
Riders of Charity arrive at Wells with some of the crew
Riders of Charity tour with members of the Wells crew
Charity bikers Riders of Charity called in at Wells on a whistlestop weekend tour of Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk lifeboat stations, meeting some of our volunteer crew at the station and stopping for a cup of tea before setting off eastwards for Sheringham, Happisburgh and beyond as far as Southwold, with a ride up the east coast visiting Skegness, Mablethorpe and Cleethorpes on Sunday.
The group was founded in 2020 and has raised over £18000 for various charities with a series of adventure rides and shorter days out. This Norfolk event was a precursor to their main ride this year, a week long 500 mile tour of Scotland.
This year, the riders are raising funds for the RNLI, Alzheimer's Society and Mental Health Motorbike and we wish them well on their adventures...
Riders of CharityShop Opening Times
Our shop, visitor information centre and public viewing gallery are open weekends from Friday to Monday and some extra weekdays from 10-4. In good weather, the main boathouse doors may also be open to view the all-weather lifeboat. See below for latest times or our visits page for more information.
Shop and viewing gallery open
10-4 Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Celebrating 200 years
The RNLI is 200 years old this year and the anniversary is being marked nationally and by lifeboat crews and stations
around the UK. In Wells, we held a series of events and an exhibition in Wells Maltings in March and we'll be flying the
RNLI 200 flag throughout the year. We also have 200 hand-made commemorative wellies which you can write a message on displayed
outside the boathouse for 200 days. We still have some of these for sale at £10 each from the station shop.
Lifeboat Horse marking 200 years in the quay
Shannon lifeboat
and 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.
Thursday 25 Apr 2024 18:30
Regular exercise
Thursday 9 May 2024 18:30
Regular exercise
Thursday 23 May 2024 18:30
Regular exercise
Saturday 8 Jun 2024 08:30
ILB attending Norfolk Superhero Challenge
Sunday 9 Jun 2024 08:30
ALB exercise
Sunday 23 Jun 2024 08:30
Regular exercise
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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