THE slipway at Swanage’s new £3.5 million lifeboat station is taking shape.

Engineers have been working to construct the new slipway that is essential for the new station, which will become home for Swanage’s new £1.5m Shannon Class all-weather lifeboat.

Hundreds of residents came out in force earlier this year to welcome the new vessel, the George Thomas Lacy, as it arrived alongside Swanage Pier.

The water jet-propelled craft, which requires an larger slipway than the station’s previous, is already in service - it was called out on its first ‘shout’ within 48 hours of arriving in but it will eventually launch from the new station, set for completion later this year.

Swanage’s new lifeboat station is being built at the site of the town’s old RNLI headquarters at Peveril Point.

The original station opened on September 16, 1875, at the cost of just £525 and £389 for the lifeboat.

Currently the site is one of the marine safety charity’s largest construction projects.

Swanage lifeboat operations manager Neil Hardy said: “My ancestors helped lay the first bricks for the Swanage RNLI boathouse 140 years ago, so you could say I’ve inherited it.

“To see the new station begin to evolve is fantastic and I feel proud to be part of such an historic occasion.”

The station was first established at the request of local residents, as a result of the wreck of the brig Wild Wave on January 23, 1875.

Speaking back in February 2015, before demolition started on the old station, Mr Hardy said: “There’s no pretending that the next 18 months are going to be easy. The demands on the coxswain and volunteer crew are going to be enormous and I thank them in advance for their patience and goodwill.”

When finished, the new station will have improved crew facilities, a larger slipway, fully-equipped training room, mechanics workshop and office space.