Full hull model of the Northumberland coble 'Grace Darling' (circa 1838), a sailing fishing vessel, built at a scale of 1:12. The model, which is decked, is constructed plank on frame, and is equipped with thwarts, thole pins and a pair of oars, and inscribed ‘Grace Darling’ on the bows.

It was in a 21ft coble such as this that the 23-year old Grace Darling and her father, William, keeper of the Longstone lighthouse in Northumberland, undertook one of the most famous rescues of the 19th century. On the morning of 7 September 1838, the 270-ton paddle steamer ‘Forfarshire’ was wrecked off the Farne Islands. Grace and her father rowed almost a mile to the wreck in appalling conditions and eventually rescued nine survivors. The story of this rescue soon spread across the country and as a result, Grace became a national hero. Both Grace and her father were presented with silver medals by the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the fore-runner of the RNLI today.