Eddystone Lighthouse
An aerial view of the fourth lighthouse. (The stub of the third lighthouse can be seen in the background.)
Location:	Devon, England (offshore)
Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS)	50°10.80′N 04°15.90′W / 50.18, -4.265Coordinates: 50°10.80′N 04°15.90′W / 50.18, -4.265
Year first lit:	1698 / 1705 / 1759 / 1882
Automated:	1982
Deactivated:	1703 / 1755 / 1877 / -
Construction:	wood / wood / masonry / masonry
Tower shape:	octagonal / conical / conical / conical
Height:	? / ? / 18 metres / 49 metres
Range:	22 nautical miles (41 kilometres)
Characteristic:	white light flashes twice every 10 seconds

The Eddystone Lighthouse is situated on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, some 9 statute miles (14 kilometres) south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom. Whilst Rame Head is in Cornwall, the rocks are within the city limits of Plymouth in the county of Devon.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... GPS redirects here. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... A nautical mile is a unit of distance, or, as physical scientists like to call it, length. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... A light characteristic is a coded description displayed on a nautical chart under the chart symbol for a lighthouse, lightvessel or sea mark with a light on it, to indicate how that light is recognised visually and audibally. ... Eddystone is a group of rocks about 14 miles off the coast of England southwest of Plymouth, on which there is an important lighthouse (Eddystone Lighthouse) indicating the approaches to the English Channel. ... A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Rame Head Rame Head is a coastal headland, southwest of the village of Rame in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city in England. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ...

The current structure is the fourth lighthouse to be built on the site. The first and second lighthouses were both destroyed in accidents. The third lighthouse, also known as Smeaton's Tower, is perhaps the best known of the four, because of its influence on modern lighthouse design and its importance in the development of concrete as a building material. Its upper portions have been re-erected in Plymouth as a monument.^[2] Smeatons Tower and Plymouth Hoe The third and most notable Eddystone Lighthouse. ... This article is about the construction material. ...

Winstanley's lighthouse

Winstanley's lighthouse

The first lighthouse to be erected on the Eddystone Rocks was an octagonal wooden structure built by Henry Winstanley. Henry Winstanley (1644–November 27, 1703) was an English engineer. ...

Construction started in 1696 and the light was first lit on 14 November 1698. During the construction period, the lighthouse first made news when a French privateer took Winstanley prisoner, causing Louis XIV to order his release with the words "France is at war with England, not with humanity".^[2] is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 4 - Palace of Whitehall in London is destroyed by fire. ... For other uses, see Privateer (disambiguation). ... Louis XIV redirects here. ...

The lighthouse survived its first winter but was found to be badly in need of repair. In doing this, the top of the structure was removed and replaced, a fact which causes some sources to state that there have been five lighthouses on the Eddystone Rock. Winstanley's tower then lasted in its modified state until the Great Storm of 1703 erased almost all trace of it on 27 November. Winstanley was on the lighthouse at the time, completing some additions to the structure. No trace was ever found of him.^[3][4] The Great Storm of 1703 is the most severe storm ever recorded in the British Isles. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The cost of construction and 5 years' maintenance of the lighthouse totalled £7,814 7s.6d. during which time dues totalling £4,721 19s.3d. had been collected, at a rate of 1d per ton, from passing vessels.

Rudyard's lighthouse

Second Eddystone Lighthouse [recent sketch, not scaled].

Following the destruction of the first lighthouse, a Captain Lovett acquired the lease of the rock, and by an Act of Parliament was allowed to charge all passing ships a toll of 1d per ton, both inward and outward. He commissioned John Rudyard (or Rudyerd) to design the new lighthouse, which was built as a conical wooden structure around a core of brick and concrete and was first lit in 1709. This design proved much more durable than its predecessor, surviving for nearly 50 years.^[2] An Act of Parliament or Act is law enacted by the parliament (see legislation). ... Above: A variety of coins considered to be lower-value, including an Irish 2p piece and many US pennies. ...

On the night of December 2, 1755, the top of the lantern caught fire, probably through a spark from one of the candles used to illuminate the light. The three lighthouse keepers did their best to put out the fire by throwing water upwards from a bucket, but were gradually driven out onto the rock as the tower burnt down from above them. Fortunately the fire was noticed from the shore, and the keepers were rescued by boat. Henry Hall, who was one of the keepers and either 84 or 94 years old at the time of the fire, subsequently died from lead poisoning because of the quantity of molten lead (from the lantern roof) he had ingested whilst fighting the fire.^[2] A report on this case of lead poisoning was submitted to the Royal Society by the physician Dr Edmund Spry, and the piece of lead is now in the collections of the National Museums of Scotland.^[5] is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other persons named Henry Hall, see Henry Hall (disambiguation). ... Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism, or painters colic caused by increased blood lead levels. ... General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ... Lead poisoning is a medical condition, also known as saturnism, plumbism, or painters colic caused by increased blood lead levels. ... For other uses, see Royal Society (disambiguation). ... The National Museums of Scotland are: The Royal Museum of Scotland - a general museum encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology and art. ...

Smeaton's lighthouse

50°21′52.09″N 4°8′31.67″W / 50.3644694, -4.1421306

Smeaton's Lighthouse

The third lighthouse marked a major step forward in the design of such structures.

Recommended to the task by the Royal Society, civil engineer John Smeaton modelled the shape of the lighthouse on that of an oak tree, albeit an oak tree built of substantial granite blocks. He pioneered the use of 'hydraulic lime' (a form of concrete that will set under water) and developed a technique of securing the granite blocks together using dovetail joints and marble dowels. Construction started in 1756 at Millbay^[6] and the light was first lit on 16 October 1759.^[2] For other uses, see Royal Society (disambiguation). ... A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering. ... Portrait of John Smeaton, with the Eddystone Lighthouse in the background John Smeaton, FRS, (June 8, 1724 – October 28, 1792) was a civil engineer – often regarded as the father of civil engineering – responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. ... This article is about oaks (Quercus desert-oak is unrelated, and instead belongs to the genus Allocasuarina. ... For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ... Hydraulic lime is a variety of slaked lime used to make mortar. ... This article is about the construction material. ... This article is about the Dovetail joint woodworking technique. ... -1... Fluted wood dowel Dowel joint A dowel is a pin, usually made of wood, plastic or metal, used to secure two objects together. ... Millbay, also known as Millbay Docks is currently a run-down area of dockland in Plymouth extending from West Hoe in the east to Mutton Cove. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

British pre-decimal One Penny Coin, obverse side, featuring Smeaton's Lighthouse

While in use, Smeaton's lighthouse was 59 feet (18 metres) in height, and had a diameter at the base of 26 feet (8 metres) and at the top of 17 feet (5 metres). It remained in use until 1877 when it was discovered that the rocks upon which it stood were becoming eroded—each time a large wave hit the lighthouse it would shake from side to side. Smeaton's lighthouse was largely dismantled and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe, in the city of Plymouth, as a memorial. Image from Mike Metras, Somonauk, IL of an English penny from 1967 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image from Mike Metras, Somonauk, IL of an English penny from 1967 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Plymouth Hoe from Mountbatten Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large public space in the English port city of Plymouth. ... This article is about the city in England. ...

The foundations and stub of the old tower remain on the Eddystone Rocks, situated close to the new (and more solid) foundations of the current lighthouse^[2] - the foundations proved too strong to be dismantled so the Victorians left them where they stood.

Douglass's lighthouse

The current Eddystone lighthouse and the stub of Smeaton's Tower.

The current, fourth, lighthouse was designed by James Douglass, using Robert Stevenson's developments of Smeaton's original techniques. The light was first lit in 1882, and is still in use. It is operated by Trinity House. It was automated in 1982, and was the first Trinity House lighthouse to be so converted. In recent years the outline of the tower has been markedly changed by the construction of a helipad above the lantern, to allow maintenance crews to gain access by helicopter.^[2] Bust of Robert Stevenson by Samuel Joseph, commissioned 19th July 1824 by the Northern Lighthouse Board to be placed in the library of the Bell Rock Lighthouse in testimony of his distinguished talent and indefatigable zeal in the erection of that lighthouse. ... Trinity House, London (January 2007) A meeting at Trinity House circa 1808 The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland). ... An Atlas Oryx helicopter touches down on a helipad onboard the High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) ship. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ...

The tower is 49 metres(161 feet) high, and it carries a white light which flashes twice every 10 seconds. The light is visible out to a range of 22 nautical miles (41 kilometres), and is supplemented by a fog signal of 3 blasts every 60 seconds.^[2] A nautical mile is a unit of distance, or, as physical scientists like to call it, length. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... A Fog signal is a device used in fog to produces an audible warning, and sometimes a visual one too, indicating to a vehicle the presence of a hazard. ...

References in the media

• The lighthouse inspired a sea shanty^[7] and has been used as a metaphor for stability.^[8]
• Eddystone lighthouse is mentioned in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick: "See what a real corner of the world it occupies; how it stands there, away off shore, more lonely than the Eddystone Lighthouse."
• The lighthouse is celebrated in the opening and closing movements of Ron Goodwin's Drake 400 Suite. The movement's main theme was directly inspired by the lighthouse's unique light characteristic.
• A novel based on the building of Smeaton's lighthouse, containing many details of the construction, was published in 2005.^[9]

Sea shanties (singular shanty, also spelled chantey; derived from the French word chanter, to sing) were shipboard working songs. ... Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. ... Moby-Dick book cover Moby-Dick - the official title of the first edition - is a novel by Herman Melville. ... Ronald Alfred Goodwin (February 17, 1925 – January 8, 2003) was a British composer and conductor best known for his film scores. ... A light characteristic is a coded description displayed on a nautical chart under the chart symbol for a lighthouse, lightvessel or sea mark with a light on it, to indicate how that light is recognised visually and audibally. ...

References

Smeaton's Lighthouse, now re-erected on Plymouth Hoe.

1. ^ Get A Map. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved on September 6, 2006. View at 1:50000 scale.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Eddystone Lighthouse. Trinity House. Retrieved on September 6, 2006.
3. ^ Eddystone Lighthouse History. Eddystone Tatler Ltd. Retrieved on September 7, 2006.
4. ^ The Great Storm of 1703. BBC. Retrieved on September 7, 2006.
5. ^ Palmer, Mike (2005). Eddystone: the Finger of Light, 2nd edition, Woodbridge, Suffolk: Seafarer Books. ISBN 095470620X. 
6. ^ Langley, Martin (1987). Millbay Docks (Port of Plymouth series). Exeter: Devon Books, 2. ISBN 0861148061. 
7. ^ The Eddystone Light. Retrieved on April 11, 2008.
8. ^ Thomas D'Arcy McGee commented that Canada's foundations were as "strong as the foundations of Eddystone" in The Globe, 31 October 1864, 4.
9. ^ Severn, Christopher (2005). Smeaton's Tower. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Seafarer Books. ISBN 0954275098. 

Part of an Ordnance Survey map at 1 inch to the mile scale from 1945 Ordnance Survey (OS) is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government. ... Trinity House, London (January 2007) A meeting at Trinity House circa 1808 The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland). ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... McGee in 1868 Thomas DArcy McGee, PC, (April 13, 1825 – April 7, 1868) was a Canadian journalist and Father of Confederation. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

External links

• Charles Harrison Wallace webpage
• Information on the Eddystone Lighthouse at Trinity House
• Captain L Edye - The Eddystone Lighthouse, 1887
• A local's view of Smeaton's Tower, on the Hoe, 2005
• Eddystone Lighthouse in the Structurae database