Smeaton's light 1759 to 1882

The designer of the third Eddystone lighthouse was a leader in the civil engineering profession of his time.

John Smeaton, a Yorkshire-man, used granite blocks for the exterior of his tower and Portland stone for the inside. The stones were dovetailed together and the lighthouse had a slightly curved profile, which strengthened and gave it a low centre of gravity.

Illuminated by 24 candles the lighthouse was first lit in October 1759 and stood at 22 metres high. In 1810 oil lamps with reflectors replaced the candles. These reflectors were then replaced with lenses in 1845, giving the tower a much better light intensity.

Smeaton’s robust tower set the pattern for a new era of lighthouse construction. However, by the mid-nineteenth century its days were numbered. The sea was undermining the rock that the lighthouse stood on and although technical improvements had been made in lighting methods, it was too small to contain the latest machinery.

The upper part of the lighthouse was taken down, brought ashore and rebuilt on a new granite base. Opened on Plymouth Hoe in September 1884, it remains one of the city's most famous landmarks to this day. The remains of the original lighthouse can still be seen on the Eddystone reef and, on a clear day, the 'stump' and the current lighthouse can be seen on the horizon.