Bishop Rock is a small rocky ledge jutting out of the sea. It is famous for its lighthouse. Bishop Rock lies west of the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall.
The rock rises from a depth of 45 metre to expose the ledge which is 46 metres long by 16 metres wide. This makes Bishop Rock the world’s smallest island with a building on it.
The lighthouse was built because the rocks around the Scilly Isles were the cause of many shipwrecks. However, building it was a dangerous task, because the sea was rough and the island too small.
After seven years labour the lighthouse was finally completed in 1858. In the old days, the 49-metre lighthouse had to rely on paraffin vapour lamps and, before that, candles.
Today, there are generators and batteries and a helipad that was built in 1976. Though the lighthouse is no longer operational, it has ten floors, and up to four visitors can stay here for a week to three weeks.
