Maritime Museum

After a successful maritime exhibition held at Holyhead in 1982 and 1983, feedback from the public showed potential to create a permanent display in the form of a museum. Consequently a group of Trustees founded the Holyhead Maritime Museum Ltd on the 24th September 1984. A nine year lease was obtained from the Church in Wales in September 1984 on a redundant church St Elbods, and the museum was opened to the public in June 1985. His Grace the Duke of Westminster officially opened it in March 1986. Because of the back street location it was difficult to attract tourist visitors, but it encouraged the deposit of material of local historical value which otherwise would have been lost. It was hoped that when the lease expired in 1983 that the museum could be located i the redundant Marine Yard, which was at the time being planned as a tourist and heritage centre. This fell through and because of a large increase in rent and the time scale for an extension of the lease of St. Elbods it was decided to close the museum and place and artefacts in store. Stena Line then offered the Trustees the lease of the old Lifeboat house on Newry Beach at a peppercorn rent, the main shell of the building had to be renovated before we took it over. When the Trustees took over the building in 1997 it was decided to seek Heritage Lottery funding for building an annex which would contain visitor facilities and the design and fitting out of the exhibition area. The grant was successful but due to a request to increase the lease from thirty years to ninety-nine years this delayed us twelve months. The museum is housed in what is said to be the oldest lifeboat house in Wales (circa 1858). The first lifeboat that was stationed in the house was un-named it was launched 18 times and saved 128 persons.  The second boat was the PRINCE OF WALES, launched 38 times and rescued 128 persons. In 1875, the house was enlarged to take the THOMAS FIELDEN which was donated by Joshua Fielden MP and his brothers Samuel and John. In 1890 the house was extended to accommodate a second lifeboat which would be launched from the landward end of the building by way of a carriage drawn by horses. This lifeboat was named JAMES WHITWORTH in memory of Sir James Whitworth and also his wife. In 1891 the THOMAS FIELDEN was replaced by a second boat hearing that name, again donated by the same family With the coming of the motor and steam lifeboats this meant the end of the pulling and sailing boats. In 1915 the JAMES WHITWORTH was withdrawn from service and replaced by the sailing lifeboat FANNY HARRIET, in 1929 the former lifeboat was replaced by the Appledore boat the ROBERT & CATHERINE. In 1930 the lifeboats were withdrawn completely from the house and the building was handed over to the Board of Trade. The building was used for various purposes after that including roller skating, R N R drill shed, but in later years was taken over by Mrs Hughes Bryn Gwyn and it became the Beach Cafe. During the Second World War it was used as a NAAFI by the service men including the Royal Dutch Navy personnel that were based in the Outer Harbour, Holyhead. Between 1985 and 1993 the building was converted into a restaurant and was called the Zodiac Wine Bar. The museum re-opens its doors to the general public on Good Friday 2nd April 1999 with the official opening of the 31st March 1999 when Mr Nigel Cureton, Stena Line, Route Director Irish Routes inveils the plaque. The main theme of the museum is "From Creek to HSS" but working with the local RNLI we have put on an exhibition to celebrate the 175 Anniversary of the RNLI and later in the year we will be holding an exhibition on the sinking of the submarine the THETIS, in Liverpool Bay in 1939. The museum has a small tea bar which supplies an excellent cup of tea at a reasonable prices. Our opening times are 1300 hrs to 1700 hrs - Tuesday to Sundays, but are we are prepared to take party bookings to the museum during the mornings and evenings.

The Museum: Tel: (01407) 769745 Secretary: Tel: (01407) 764374
E-mail: JOHNCAVE@aol.com
website :holyheadmaritimemuseum