Smeaton's Tower

Smeaton's Tower was built by John Smeaton on the Eddystone Reef in 1759. There had been two previous lighthouses in the same location. The first was built by Henry Winstanley in 1695. Unfortunately, seven years later, during a storm, it was washed away taking its builder with it. The second lighthouse was built in 1711 by John Rudyerd but it was destroyed by a fire in 1755. Work commenced on Smeaton's Tower in December 1756 to replace the damaged lighthouse. Smeaton's Tower would still be there today but the rock underneath it was undermined by the sea. James Douglass built a new lighthouse on an adjoining rock. It was felt that if Smeaton's Tower was left standing beside the new lighthouse, that it could eventually collapse onto the new lighthouse if the rock beneath it became even more undermined. It was decided to blow it up but a Mr FJ Webb suggested that it should be dismantled and erected on the Hoe where the Trinity House Navigational Obelisk once stood. This was quite a task and the lighthouse was removed stone by stone and rebuilt on the Hoe with a new base to support it. The original base can still be seen beside the present Eddystone Lighthouse. On 24th September,1884,the Lord Mayor opened Smeaton's Tower on the Hoe to the public.