Henry Winstanley

British engineer

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July 15, 2026

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Henry Winstanley was a British engineer known for designing the first lighthouse on the Eddystone Rocks in the English Channel. This timber structure, built between 1696 and 1699, was an early example of a lighthouse fully exposed to the open sea. Unfortunately, Winstanley and his lighthouse were swept away by a severe storm in 1703. His innovative, though ultimately tragic, design marked a step forward in lighthouse construction, paving the way for future developments in maritime safety.12

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lighthouse
The beginning of the modern era
The first of these was Henry Winstanley’s 120-foot-high wooden tower on the notorious Eddystone Rocks off Plymouth, England. Although anchored by 12 iron stanchions laboriously grouted into exceptionally hard red rock, it lasted only from 1699 to 1703, when it was swept away without a trace in a storm of…
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The first of these was Henry Winstanley’s 120-foot-high wooden tower on the notorious Eddystone Rocks off Plymouth, England. Although anchored by 12 iron stanchions laboriously grouted into exceptionally hard red rock, it lasted only from 1699 to 1703, when it was swept away without a trace in a storm of…
Read More