Smeaton’s Tower was the 3rd and most famous lighthouse to be built on an off-shore site.
The lighthouse was in operation from 1759 to 1877, 13 miles off the coast at Plymouth (although technically in Cornwall).
John Smeaton modelled the shape of his lighthouse on that of an oak tree, using granite blocks. He rediscovered the use of “hydraulic lime,” a form of concrete used in Roman times that will set under water, and developed a technique of securing the granite blocks together using dovetail joints and marble dowels.
Many of the men employed in the construction were Cornish tin miners, and to avoid the possibility of press ganging, which was rife at the time, Trinity House arranged with the Admiralty in Plymouth that each man was issued with a medal to confirm that he was working on the lighthouse.
Now, most of the tower resides as a memorial on terra firma at Plymouth Hoe, but while in use Smeaton’s lighthouse was 72 feet high, and had a diameter at the base of 26 feet (8 metres). On deconstruction, the base was so difficult to dismantle that the stub remains out at sea even today.
Visit the bright memorial on Plymouth Hoe, without the risk of getting wet!
Smeaton’s Tower was the 3rd and most famous lighthouse to be built on an off-shore site.
The lighthouse was in operation from 1759 to 1877, 13 miles off the coast at Plymouth (although technically in Cornwall).
John Smeaton modelled the shape of his lighthouse on that of an oak tree, using granite blocks. He rediscovered the use of “hydraulic lime,” a form of concrete used in Roman times that will set under water, and developed a technique of securing the granite blocks together using dovetail joints and marble dowels.
Many of the men employed in the construction were Cornish tin miners, and to avoid the possibility of press ganging, which was rife at the time, Trinity House arranged with the Admiralty in Plymouth that each man was issued with a medal to confirm that he was working on the lighthouse.
Now, most of the tower resides as a memorial on terra firma at Plymouth Hoe, but while in use Smeaton’s lighthouse was 72 feet high, and had a diameter at the base of 26 feet (8 metres). On deconstruction, the base was so difficult to dismantle that the stub remains out at sea even today.
Visit the bright memorial on Plymouth Hoe, without the risk of getting wet!
