Lighthouse on the world's smallest island

The rocks around the Scilly Isles have been the cause of a series of shipwrecks for many years. In 1707, after the sinking of the British naval officer - Cloudesley Shovell with more than 2,000 soldiers, the Trinity House government (including the Kingdom of England, Wales and British Territories) decided to build a lighthouse in the most dangerous part of the western sea. The chosen location was Bishop Rock.

However, James Walker, chief engineer of Trinity House, objected to the construction of a granite lighthouse tower on Bishop Rock. He argued that the rock ledge was too small compared to the surrounding landscape and would make it impossible for the lighthouse to withstand the pressure of the sea and the pressure of the wind.

Construction began in 1847. The lighthouse, with its copper screw mast, cost nearly £12,000. The architect's idea was to reduce the pressure by allowing the waves to pass over the mast rather than crashing directly into the tower. The idea was completed after two years, but not long after, on February 5, 1850, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by a violent storm.

James Walker continued to build the lighthouse. This time, he decided to use granite. Transporting the stone to the island was difficult and dangerous. All the preliminary work had to be done on shore before being brought to Bishop. After 7 years, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1858.

The 49-meter-high lighthouse is now powered by generators and batteries instead of kerosene lamps. In 1976, a heliport was built here. In 1991, the lighthouse was switched to automatic operation. The lighthouse has 10 floors and is open to visitors.