Smeaton Tower

Smeaton’s Tower is a memorial to civil engineer John Smeaton, designer of the third and most notable Eddystone Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was originally built on the Eddystone reef in 1759 at a cost of £40,000, but was taken down in the early 1880s when it was discovered that the sea was undermining the rock it was standing on. Approximately two thirds of the structure was moved stone by stone to its current resting place on the Hoe. The base remains out on the reef beside the current Eddystone tower.

Now standing at 72 foot high, Smeaton’s Tower offers fantastic views of Plymouth Sound and the city from its lantern room which, along with the rest of the building, has been painstakingly restored to its original glory.