Historic lifeboat station in Moelfre, Anglesey, once home to a cannibal sailor, is up for auction after renovation.
This stone and slate building dates back to 1875 and served the area for 34 years. However, it has a rather dark past to it. Now, people use it as a private boathouse to store boats and fishing gear there.
Thomas Lewis once worked at the station. He survived a shipwreck in 1874 that occurred as he sailed to New Zealand. Lewis resorted to cannibalism to stay alive.
The ship, called the Cospatrick, caught fire and all but three sailors died, including Lewis. Without food or water, they drifted for ten days, so Lewis and two others made a tough choice: they drank the blood and ate the livers of dead crewmates. This action helped them avoid starvation and death, and Lewis joined the rescue crew in 1875.
The historic property has been renovated, and it now has its own slipway leading to the sea. The auction guide price is £95,000.
The station served Anglesey’s east coast for 34 years. The sellers call it a “landmark maritime building” and they also highlight its “stunning coastal position”. The building is around 66 square meters.
Access to the station is tricky and you can reach it only by foot. The path involves a steep walk, so viewers must proceed with caution.
They retired the station in 1909 and a new one was built nearby. The building has been a boathouse since then.
The current Moelfre station sits 180 meters up the coast and it was rebuilt in 2015 for about £10 million. Moelfre’s volunteers have saved over 1,000 lives.
Volunteers received 37 medals as the RNLI rewards “humane” life-saving efforts that involved shipwrecks on our coast. The medal recognizes saving lives at sea and they award them in gold, silver, and bronze format. Bidding on the former station starts March 26 and a slipway was added in 1893.