Smeaton's Tower

Smeaton's Tower is the third and most notable Eddystone Lighthouse. It marked a major step forward in lighthouse design. It was in use from 1759 to 1877. In 1882 it was largely dismantled and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe where it now stands as a memorial to its designer, John Smeaton. Construction started in 1756 at a site in Millbay, where Smeaton built a jetty and a work yard in the south-western corner of the harbour to unload and work on stones. Timber rails of 3 ft 6 in (107 cm) gauge were laid for four-wheeled flat trucks, which were used to move masonry around the site. A 10-ton ship named the Eddystone Boat was based here, and transported worked stones out to the reef. The ship carried the 2¼-ton foundation stone out in the morning of 12 June 1756. The work was completed in August 1759 at a cost of £40,000 (£5,525,926 with inflation). The lighthouse was 72 feet high, and had a diameter at the base of 26 feet (8 metres) and at the top of 17 feet (5 metres).  After the structure was completed, the lighthouse's 24 candles were lit on 16 October 1759.  In 1810 the candles were replaced with an oil lamp. In 1877, it was discovered that rocks upon which it stood were becoming eroded. Each time a large wave hit, the lighthouse shook from side to side. Smeaton's Tower ceased operation in 1879 with the illumination of Douglass's Tower on an adjacent rock. In 1882 the upper part of Smeaton's Tower was dismantled and rebuilt as a memorial to Smeaton, replacing the triangular obelisk that had been built there by Trinity House as a navigation aid in the early 19th century. It was opened to the public by the Mayor of Plymouth on 24 September 1884. Smeaton's Tower has been a Grade I-listed building since 1954. It is open for visitors, who may climb 93 steps, including steep ladders, to the lantern room, and observe Plymouth Sound and the city.

Cache:

Take a picture of you and the lighthouse.