What’s there to know about Smeaton’s Pier?
- Did you know that Smeaton’s Pier was extended by 300ft in the 1890s?
- The extension of the pier is the reason St Ives has two lighthouses; the old pier ended where the shorter, original lighthouse stands.
- The pier and the original lighthouse are both named after John Smeaton, the civil engineer who designed the structures.
- When the extension was complete a new 9 metre tall lighthouse was built at the end.
- Smeaton’s Pier has a reservoir at its base that fills up at high tide to reduce wave action in the harbour.
- The 3 arches were designed to circulate seawater to prevent the build-up of sand.
- St Ives Harbour is a beautiful and safe place to swim and observe local fishermen come in to land their catch.
