Rhenish Tower

The Rhenish Tower stands on Lynmouth pier in Devon. It is a square structure built mainly of rubble with brick balconies near the top. Above these is a small brick turret that once held a fire basket. The tower was named because it resembled a Rhine River tower. It was built early in the 19th century as a beacon for sailors. The tower had two original purposes. It guided mariners with light and provided salt water to the Bath Hotel. Salt-water baths were thought to improve health. The balconies were added because the plain tower was considered unsightly. Paintings by Arthur Lee and Samuel Calvert show the tower in the mid-19th century. The original tower was destroyed in the 1952 Lynmouth flood. It was rebuilt in 1954 using the salvaged fire basket. The tower remains a landmark on the pier. Paintings of the earlier tower hang in Lynton Town Hall. Visitors see the rebuilt structure and the surviving fire basket.