The life and works of John Smeaton in Cornwall and beyond

Overview

John Smeaton was the first person to call himself a civil engineer and 2024 marks 300 years since his birth.

John Smeaton's reputation in the South West has been overshadowed for more than a century by that of the Victorian engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. But Smeaton's tricentenary celebrations are an opportunity to bring more attention to his life and times. 

This talk is intended to raise the profile of this remarkable engineer by outlining his life and examining some of his major works in Cornwall, across the South West, elsewhere in the UK and even Russia.

Programme