Plan of Blyth New RNLI Lifeboat Station and Slipway, 1920
Reference: NRO 05393/41
Suggested age groups: KS1, KS2
Subject areas: Lifeboats
CONTEXT
There were lifeboat stations at various points along the Northumberland coast. The stations provided a home for the lifeboat and a place for it to be launched from.
Lifeboat stations and lifeboats are usually operated by The Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI). The Institute was founded in 1824 as National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.
Building plans are a set of drawings that are made before a building or a structure has been built to show what it will look like.
This document is a plan for a new RNLI lifeboat station and slipway at Blyth, Northumberland. The lifeboat was launched from the slipway. The plan is from 1920.
ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1
Background
There were lifeboat stations at various points along the Northumberland coast. The stations provided a home for the lifeboat and a place for it to be launched from.
SEE
See: What is a lifeboat station?
See: What happens at a lifeboat station?
See: Where is the lifeboat launched on?
See: What is a plan?
See: What is shown in this plan?
THINK
Think: What can you learn about Blyth Lifeboat Station from the plan?
Think: Why is there a lifeboat station in Blyth?
Think: Why is it important to have a lifeboat station?
Think: Where else in Northumberland are there lifeboat stations?
DO
Do: Look at the history of Blyth Lifeboat Station. Can you find the reason for this plan being made?
Do: Look at a photograph of Blyth Lifeboat Station today. Compare it to the plan. What has changed and what has stayed the same?
Do: Can you find evidence of the changes in the history of Blyth Lifeboat Station?
Do: Discuss how the Blyth Lifeboat Station has changed over time and what the reasons for those changes are.
Do: Use a map to find other lifeboat stations in Northumberland. Compare them to Blyth Lifeboat Station.
Do: Create drawings showing the Blyth Lifeboat Station at various stages throughout time. Think about the different types of lifeboats and technologies they would have had.
Do: Come up with a list of ideas of how Blyth Lifeboat Station might look in 100 years.
Do: Create an annotated plan for your future Blyth Lifeboat Station.
Resources
OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
RNLI home page: https://rnli.org/
History of the RNLI: https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/timeline
RNLI page on Blyth Lifeboat Station: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/blyth-lifeboat-station
RNLI page on the history of Blyth Lifeboat Station: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/blyth-lifeboat-station/station-history-blyth