The RNLI lifeboat station at the northern tip of the Harwich peninsula has been operating in some form since 1821, making it one of the oldest in the country. The current boathouse is a handsome modern structure with a glass front facing the estuary, housing an all-weather Severn-class lifeboat and a smaller inshore B-class.
The station is open to visitors on most weekends. The volunteer crew will show you the boats and the launching gear if they are not actually busy with a callout — and given the volume of shipping in and out of Harwich and Felixstowe, the volume of callouts is real.