prize8-3, Exercise 1: The four Eddystone towers

Model answer (check the details):

| Tower | Material | Shape | Fate | What the next builder learned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winstanley (1698) | Timber on a stone base, iron fixings | Tall, polygonal and decorated | Swept away in 1703 | A tower can stand on the open rock, but a tall, decorated shape catches the wind and waves |
| Rudyerd (1709) | Timber over a weighted stone base | Plain, tapering cone | Burned in 1755 | A plain, heavy shape resists waves; but timber burns, so stone is better |
| Smeaton (1759) | Dovetailed granite with marble dowels | Curved, like an oak trunk | Dismantled in the 1880s because the rock was failing | Stone locked into a single mass can last; the rock itself must be sound |
| Douglass (1882) | Larger dovetailed granite blocks | Taller, on a more solid part of the reef | Still standing | The method works; build on a firm base |

Care: dates and materials come from general knowledge; confirm against Trinity House sources.