Eddystone Lighthouse, lighthouse, celebrated in folk ballads and seamen’s lore, standing on the Eddystone Rocks, 14 miles off Plymouth, England, in the English Channel. The first lighthouse (1696–99), built of timber, was swept away with its designer, Henry Winstanley, by the great storm of 1703.
Lighthouse, structure, usually with a tower, built onshore or on the seabed to serve as an aid to maritime coastal navigation, warning mariners of hazards, establishing their position, and guiding them to their destinations. Electronic navigation systems have had a great effect on the role of lighthouses.
The Oregon is an exception. Although she was holed on a reef off Thurlestone in 1890, the 810-ton vessel was refloated and on her way to Plymouth before