HISTORIC England and the RNLI are asking people in the South West to add their own contributions to the Missing Pieces Project — to add to the story of the listed landmarks featured on a new interactive map.

Historic England has also announced the listing of the Church of St Mary in Cadgwith on the new interactive map which features historic South West landmarks connected with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), to mark this year’s 200th anniversary of the lifesaving charity.  

The map shows the listed places – former lifeboat stations, memorials, churches, donation boxes, and more – that can be found around England, including Penlee Point Lifeboat Station and The Watch Tower Studio and Former Lifeboat Shed in Looe among those in Cornwall.

Through the Missing Pieces Project, everyone is invited to discover the listed places on their doorstep and contribute their own unique piece to the picture by adding photos, videos, stories and memories on the National Heritage List for England. 

Duncan Wilson, Historic England chief executive, said: “This fascinating collection of historic sites tell the stories of the men, women and communities who have made our seas safer over the past two hundred years. Their dedication, bravery and sacrifice have helped to save so many lives and their stories inspire us. This is a great opportunity to discover places around England with history connected to the RNLI and to add your part to the story.” 

Over the past 200 years, lifeboat stations have become an important part of the UK’s coastal heritage, acting as beacons of safety, while churches and memorials honour and remember the people who have bravely risked their lives to save others. Many of these sites are protected through listing, and whilst most are not owned or managed by the RNLI, they all have strong connections to the lifesaving charity and its history.   

Rarely seen photographs have been shared by the RNLI to highlight the charity’s rich history, showing proud volunteer lifeboat crews and historic lifeboat stations from the past 200 years. 

Hayley Whiting, the RNLI’s heritage archive and research manager, said: “Through this project with Historic England we have been able to share photos from the RNLI archive of sites around England which have a close connection with the RNLI and its lifesaving heritage. The list includes boathouses, collection boxes, monuments, and memorials, many of which are no longer RNLI-owned or managed, but all of which have a fascinating and important connection with the charity’s long lifesaving history.” 

“It is particularly significant that we have been able to collaborate with Historic England on this project during the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year, and we hope many members of the public will now be inspired to go online to the Missing Pieces Project and add their own contributions, to really help bring to life the stories, history and character of these significant sites.” 

The Church of St Mary, located in the small fishing village of Cadgwith on the Lizard Peninsula, is important for its unusual architecture and its connection with a major event in the history of the RNLI. St Mary’s was built as a mission church and chapel of ease (an Anglican chapel situated for the convenience of parishioners living too far from the parish church) for the local community in 1898.  

It is an example of a ‘tin tabernacle’, a prefabricated corrugated iron building developed in the mid-19th century as a relatively low-cost way to establish a place of worship in fast-growing urban and rural areas.

Many were built during the upsurge in Non-Conformism, which was particularly strong in Cornwall. Few of these buildings survive today, having been designed for temporary use until permanent structures could be built.  

The first vicar of St Mary’s, Reverend Henry Vyvyan, was an active member of the RNLI and was recognised as one of the most distinguished honorary secretaries of the institution, serving the Cadgwith station (Grade II listed) from 1898 until his death in 1937.

He received a RNLI silver medal for gallantry for his active role, with the Cadgwith lifeboat Minnie Moon, in the rescue of 227 survivors from the White Star liner Suevic when it ran aground off the Lizard Point on 17 March 1907. The rescue of a total of 456 passengers and crew from the liner without any loss of life remains the largest in the institution’s history.  

The Church of St Mary was listed at Grade II in February 2024.

South West lifeboat crews from times past can be seen in rare historic photographs shared through the RNLI map and list entries. These atmospheric images bring us face-to-face with the ordinary people from local communities who put their lives at risk to save others.  

To share your story and be part of the Missing Pieces Project, visit: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/missing-pieces/