Smeaton's Tower Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Smeaton's Tower

General information
Type	former lighthouse and memorial
Location	The Hoe, Plymouth, England
Coordinates	50°21′52″N 4°08′31″W / 50.36441°N 4.14183°W / 50.36441; -4.14183
Completed	1759

Smeaton's Tower is a famous old lighthouse that no longer guides ships. Today, it stands as a special monument to John Smeaton. He was a brilliant engineer who designed this lighthouse. It was the third and most well-known Eddystone Lighthouse. This lighthouse was a huge step forward in how lighthouses were built! It worked from 1759 to 1877. But the rocks it stood on started to wear away. So, the tower was carefully taken apart. Then, it was rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe in Plymouth, England. That's where you can see it today!

Discover Smeaton's Tower: A Historic Lighthouse
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Discover Smeaton's Tower: A Historic Lighthouse

Why Lighthouses Were Needed

England's coasts are known for rough weather. They have dangerous seas and hidden rocks. The Eddystone rocks were especially tricky. Many ships could crash there. So, people really needed a marker to warn sailors.

Early Attempts to Build a Lighthouse

People tried to build lighthouses on these rocks before. The first one was called the Winstanley Lighthouse. A big storm destroyed it in 1703. Then, a second one, the Rudyard Lighthouse, was built. But this one was destroyed by a fire in 1755. After two failures, a super strong lighthouse was needed!

Meet John Smeaton: The Engineer

John Smeaton was born in Austhorpe, Yorkshire, England, in 1724. Many people call him the "father of civil engineering". He made many scientific discoveries. For example, he found ways to make water wheels work better. After the Rudyard lighthouse burned down, everyone wanted a new one fast. The Royal Society suggested Smeaton. Designing the Eddystone Lighthouse became his greatest achievement.

Building the Strongest Lighthouse

The special dovetail design used to connect the stone blocks.

Smeaton had to build a lighthouse that could survive anything. The first one was destroyed by a storm! He designed his lighthouse to look like an oak tree. This shape made the tower incredibly strong.

He also rediscovered a special type of concrete. It was called hydraulic lime. The ancient Romans used it. This concrete could set, or harden, underwater! Smeaton used it to put huge granite blocks together. He connected them with special dovetail joints and marble dowels. This made the tower super solid.

Construction began in 1756. Smeaton set up a workyard in Millbay. He built a jetty there to unload stones. He even laid wooden rails for carts. These carts moved the heavy stones around. A ship named Eddystone Boat carried the stones to the reef. The first foundation stone, weighing 2¼ tons, was placed on June 12, 1756.

An old picture of the lighthouse on the Eddystone Reef.

The lighthouse was finished in August 1759. It cost about £40,000. Many Cornish tin miners helped build it. To keep them safe, they were given special medals. These medals showed they were lighthouse workers. This meant they couldn't be forced into the navy.

The lighthouse stood 72 feet (22 metres) tall. It was 26 feet (8 metres) wide at the bottom. It narrowed to 17 feet (5 metres) at the top.

How the Lighthouse Worked

Painting of the lighthouse in 1846 by Anton Melbye.

The lighthouse's 24 candles were lit on October 16, 1759. Each candle weighed between 2 and 5 pounds (0.9 and 2.3 kg). A clock chimed every 30 minutes. This reminded the lighthouse keeper to change the candles.

In 1810, oil lamps and reflectors replaced the candles. More updates happened in 1841. Engineer Henry Norris made improvements. In 1845, an even better lamp was installed. It used a special Fresnel lens. This lens made the light much brighter.

The lighthouse worked until 1877. Then, people found that the rocks it stood on were wearing away. The lighthouse would shake when big waves hit it. It was no longer safe.

Smeaton's Tower as a Memorial

Smeaton's Lighthouse on Plymouth Hoe today.

Smeaton's Tower stopped being a working lighthouse in February 1882. A new lighthouse, Douglass's Tower, was being built nearby. The top part of Smeaton's Tower was carefully taken apart. It was then rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe. It became a memorial to John Smeaton. The Mayor of Plymouth opened it to the public on September 24, 1884.

The bottom part of the old tower is still on the Eddystone Rocks. It was too strong to move! The lighthouse was even shown on the British penny coin from 1860 to 1894.

There's a copy of Smeaton's lighthouse built in 1850. It's called Hoad Monument. It stands near Ulverston, Cumbria. It's a memorial to a naval leader named Sir John Barrow.

In 1913, a homemade bomb was found at the tower's entrance. It had "votes for women" painted on it. The fuse was lit but blew out in the wind. This stopped it from exploding. It was part of the campaign for women's right to vote.

Since 1954, Smeaton's Tower has been a Grade I-listed building. This means it's a very important historic site. Visitors can climb 93 steps to the top. From the lantern room, you can see amazing views of Plymouth Sound and the city.

On October 15, 2009, the tower's lantern was lit again. It had 24 candles, just like in 1759! This celebrated 250 years since the lighthouse first shone its light.