A painting of the Smalls Lighthouse St. Davids west Wales.
The Smalls Lighthouse stands on a small rock approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Ramsey Island.
The first Smalls lighthouse was built in 1776 and was made of wood. Privately owned, it was an extremely profitable piece of property.
The original Smalls Lighthouse was erected over 1775 and 1776, on the plans of Liverpool musical instrument maker Henry Whiteside. It stood on nine oak pillars, allowing the sea to pass through beneath. Although it suffered from some rocking, it stood for 80 years. During its life a significant number of extra struts were added beyond the original nine. The pillar-based design has since been used successfully in many sea structures.
Until the automation of British lighthouses in the 1980’s lighthouse teams were changed to rosters of three men. In 1859 Trinity House, having brought out the previous leaseholders in 1836, began the construction of a new tower. The tower was completed in 1861.
The current tower, which dates to 1861, was the first British lighthouse to be fitted with a toilet!
In 1978 a helideck was erected above the lantern and the lighthouse was automated in 1987. This is the first wind and solar powered lighthouse in the UK. It has only a 35 watt bulb but with the aid of lenses, this can be seen up to 21 miles (34 km) away.
