Smeaton's Tower

Smeaton’s Tower is the rebuilt top section of the third Eddystone Lighthouse, now standing on Plymouth Hoe. It was designed by John Smeaton, a civil engineer born in Yorkshire in 1724. The original tower stood on the Eddystone Rocks for 118 years before erosion forced its removal. In 1882 the upper part was taken down and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe as a memorial to Smeaton. The lower section remains on the reef where it was first built. Smeaton’s work marked a turning point in lighthouse design. He used dovetail joints and marble dowels to bind granite blocks underwater. His rediscovery of hydraulic lime allowed the cement to set in water, making the structure unusually strong. The tower survived storms that destroyed earlier lighthouses on the same reef. After 1877, when the rocks began to crumble, the light was moved to a new tower nearby. Visitors climb 93 steps to the lantern room and look out over Plymouth Sound and the city. The lantern chamber now holds a granite bust of Smeaton. On special occasions the original 24-candle arrangement is relit to recall the first night of light in 1759. The tower is part of Plymouth Hoe’s open space, where people walk, picnic and enjoy views of the sea.