FAQs

Presented by Morgan Sindall Construction and in partnership with Wild In Art, St Luke’s Guiding Lights art trail is a free, family-friendly public art event running from 6 July to 13 September. A spectacular line-up of more than 40 eye-catching, 2.4-meter-tall lighthouse sculptures will be displayed across Plymouth and the surrounding areas, creating a colourful and accessible trail for all ages. Each unique lighthouse has been designed and decorated by an individual artist and sponsored by local businesses.

Running alongside the main trail are two exciting offshoots, each featuring 1m tall lighthouse: Little Lights trail and the Roaming Exhibition. 

Once the trail is over, the large sculputers and medium Roaming Exhibition lighthouses will be raising money for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth.

The lighthouse theme was selected for its symbolic relevance and its strong link to Plymouth’s maritime history and Smeaton’s Tower on the Hoe. Lighthouses traditionally provide a guiding light for those who are weathering stormy seas and searching for safety, and this echoes what St Luke’s offers our patients and their loved ones, helping them find their way in times of great difficulty and uncertainty.

Seeing our organisation as a guiding light also fits in well with St Luke’s commitment to shine a beacon of compassion across Plymouth and the surrounding area, not only supporting and advising patients and families, but also liaising with and guiding other health and care professionals to make sure everyone has the best end of life support possible.

The St Luke’s Guiding Lights team worked with 42 education establishments across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall, engaging with children and young people. As well as using educational resources to have conversations around death and dying, breaking down traditional taboos, pupils from each school and college have decorated a bespoke lighthouse in their own original style.

These special sculptures will be on display at The Box, Plymouth, from 7 July until 13 September, surrounded by the city museum and gallery’s permanent collection in an exclusive indoor trail, heralded by a stunning full-scale lighthouse sculpture outside on Tavistock Place. Watch out for lighthouse-themed events at the Box through the school holidays.

Trail enthusiasts won’t want to miss the roaming show of 10 artist-designed, individually sponsored 1m tall sculptures that will tour selected venues over the summer weeks in areas of Devon served by St Luke’s nursing teams.

• Salcombe Brewery Tap House | 6–19 July
• Kingsbridge (3 locations: Harbour House Gallery, Kingsbridge Library & Velarde Gallery) | 20 July–2 August
• St Luke’s charity shop, Tavistock | 3–16 August
• Dartmoor Zoo | 17–30 August
• Cremyll, Mount Edgcumbe, Barrow Centre | 31 August–13 September

Catch these sculptures on the move and experience the creativity of the trail in even more locations.

All the lighthouses, large and small, will be gathered together for a farewell weekend exhibition, from 25-27 September, at the Market Hall, Devonport, Plymouth. Tickets, with scheduled visiting slots, will be available soon.

From 6 July to 13 September 2026. The Little Lights exhibition at The Box starts on 7th July. 

Yes. St Luke’s Guiding Lights interactive app is available to download directly from Apple Store and Google Play. Please search for: St Luke’s Guiding Lights.

The dedicated app will enhance your experience with access to maps of the trail, a pedometer and insider information, as well as help you log your lighthouse milestones and unlock tempting reward codes from sponsors.

The app is available to download at £1.99. This helps contribute towards the cost of the apps and, in turn, helps St Luke’s Hospice raise more money for patient care in Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall.   

Please use the developer’s online form to flag any problems you may have: https://stlukesguidinglights.com/app-support/ 

Yes. Printed maps will be available from the Tourist Information Centre on The Barbican and from selected St Luke’s Charity Shops at a suggested donation of £2 to St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth.

St Luke’s Hospice Charity Shops, which will be stocking printed maps and merchandise: 

City Centre, New George Street – see location and opening times

City Centre Drake – see location and opening times

City Centre Furniture Shop, Charles Cross – see location and opening times

The Barbican – see location and opening times

Yes, merchandise raising money for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth, such as: Paint Your Own Lighthouse kits, pin badges, teatowels, sticker books, Lukey The Lighthouse storybooks, lighthouse bracelets and postcards can be purchased from:

Tourist Information Centre – see location and opening times

St Luke’s City Centre, New George Street – see location and opening times

St Luke’s City Centre Drake – see location and opening times

St Luke’s City Centre Furniture Shop, Charles Cross – see location and opening times

St Luke’s The Barbican – see location and opening times

St Luke’s Plymstock Bookshop (Lukey The Lighthouse Books only) – see location and opening times

St Luke’s Plymstock (sticker books only) – see location and opening times

All of our large sculptures are placed in public spaces across the city. Please not that for some of the sculptures set on the historic Barbican, there may be some cobbled lanes to cross, but the lighthouses themselves are on a flat, paved surface. The Little Lights, which are on display at The Box Plymouth, are fully accessible. For the Roaming Exhibition in Salcombe, Kingsbridge, Tavistock, Dartmoor Zoo and Mount Edgcumbe, please check the individual sites for details on parking and accessibility. 

All our large Guiding Lights lighthouse sculptures are placed outdoors and in dog-friendly public spaces. Please feel free to take your companions with you. The indoor exhibitions may vary: 

The Box Plymouth  – registered trained assistance dogs only, please (Little Lights 7th July – 13 September) 

Salcombe Tap House – dogs welcome (Roaming Exhibition 6–19 July)

Harbour House Gallery – Kitchen and Cafe parts are dog-friendly (Roaming Exhibition 20 July–2 August)

Kingsbridge Library – registered trained assistance dogs only, please. (Roaming Exhibition 20 July–2 August)

Velarde Gallery, Kingsbridge – dogs welcome (Roaming Exhibition 20 July–2 August)

Dartmoor Zoo – registered trained assistance dogs only, please. (Roaming Exhibition 17–30 August)

Mount Edgcumbe, Barrow Centre – dogs allowed in most indoor spaces, please check with staff on site. (Roaming Exhibition 31 August–13 September)

Find out more about the Farewell Show here.

You can support St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth by using the Donate button on our website or on the app. Whether it’s downloading the trail app, making a donation for a trail map or buying some merchandise, it all helps this beloved Plymouth charity to care for patients in their hour of need – wherever they are. 

Stay in the centre of all the action at Crowne Plaza – our proud Accommodation Partner. Located on Plymouth Hoe, it’s only a stone’s throw away from many of our lighthouse sculptures, local attractions, cafes, shops and fantastic eateries.  We look forward to welcoming you in Britain’s Ocean City this summer, for more information about the city, please visit: https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk

Travel to Plymouth with ease with our sculpture sponsor GWR.

Once in Britain’s Ocean City, our large sculptures are convieniently located in easily accessible public spaces. Enjoy the Guiding Lights Trail on foot, by Beryl Bike or with our sculpture sponsor Plymouth City Bus

Get on the waterr and hop on one of the ferry services to find the sculptures in Royal William Yard and Mount Batten.

For information on parking, please visit: https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/find-somewhere-park

After being on show to the public for 10 weeks, the lighthouse sculptures will find their permanent homes when they go under the hammer at a grand auction finale. The Guiding Lights auction takes place on 1 October at the Rolle Marquee, University of Plymouth, when the large and roaming sculptures will be sold to the highest bidders.

Find out more and register interest here. 

You will be able to bid in person or online on 1 October, please register your interest in the auction here. Once we receive your form, we’ll be in touch with a link to purchase tickets for the auction event (subject to availability), along with details on how to register for online bidding closer to the time.