Smeaton's Tower is the upper section of the third Eddystone lighthouse, built by John Smeaton in 1759 and reassembled on Plymouth Hoe in 1884. It stands on the Hoe as a distinctive red-and-white striped beacon — not as a working lighthouse, but as a monument to one of the great engineering achievements of the 18th century.
You can climb the 93 steps to the lantern room for a fine view across Plymouth Sound, the Breakwater, and on clear days toward Dartmoor. Inside, the walls are thick granite, fitted together without mortar using a dovetail joint that Smeaton invented — the same technique used in modern lighthouse construction. The view from the top rivals anything else in Plymouth. Small entrance fee; opens daily in summer.