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THE MONUMENT OF GREAT FIRE OF LONDON-LONDON-UK

London other attractions and things to do

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  • HISTORY OF FIRE OF LONDON

On 2/9/1666, hot and windy evening, Thomas Farriner, who was a baker on the Pudding Lane-London, forgot to put out the fire in his oven completely. The fire slowly spread to his house. His house was on fire by the early hours of the morning and it began to spread. This little carelessness destroyed 13,000 houses, which were made of wood, 87 London landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral. The fire lasted for four days and made 85% of Londoners homeless. People went to the river and outside the London (Moorfields) to get shelter. Six people were officially recorded as lost their lives in this disaster.

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Densely packed wooden houses, windy weather conditions and lack of a fire brigade service to be called upon did make the situation worse and caused wide damage to the city. It took around 50 years to rebuild the city including 85 churches (including St Paul’s Cathedral) which were destroyed during the fire.

  • REBUILDING THE CITY

‘Commissioners for Rebuilding’ got responsibility from the parliament for the rebuilding the city. In that a committee of six Sir Christopher Wren was also present. His ambitious plans for rebuilding London mostly rejected. However, Wren did design the new St Paul’s Cathedral and other 51 new city churches.

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  • PLAN FOR A MONUMENT

It was decided to build a monument to commemorate the Great Fire. The Monument was designed by Dr Robert Hooke and Sir Christopher Wren together and the construction was started in 1671. It took almost six years to finish as England was in war with the Dutch between 1672-1674. Difficult to obtain the Portland stone of the required dimensions also delayed the construction. Finally, the construction completed and opened in 1677.  The Monument is 202 feet tall and situates exact 202 feet away from the exact spot where the fire started on Pudding Lane. The iconic 311 steps to the top of The Monument will give you a panoramic view of the city.

(Image credit-Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
The view from the top of the monument

  • CHRISTOPHER WREN

Christopher Wren, born in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, England on 20 October 1632, was scientist, mathematician and one of the most renowned architects in the country. He studied in Wadham College, in Oxford. The Sheldonian Theatre, the ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford and a chapel at Pembroke College, Cambridge were his first designs. His other important designs are St Paul’s Cathedral, Trinity College Library in Cambridge, the facade of Hampton Court Palace. The Monument and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich was co designed with Dr Hooke. For his invaluable role in rebuilding London, he was knighted on 14 November 1673 by the Monarch.

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Sir Cristopher Wren

  • DR ROBERT HOOKE

He was a scientist, architect and polymath.  We can say that he is the first human being who visualised micro-organisms. He was born on 18 July 1635 in Freshwater, in Isle of Wight, England. He studied at Christ Church College, Oxford. Hooke discovered the law of elasticity which is known as Hooke’s Law, In 1660. Modern microscope invention was his biggest scientific achievement. His other inventions were the compound microscope, the wheel barometer and the hydrometer.

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Dr Hooke’s microscope model

  • AN INTELLIGENT WAY OF OBTAINING FUNDING FOR A LABORATORY

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In fact, it can say Monument is disguised telescope. Dr Hooke wanted to calculate the radius of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun by measuring the position changes of the stars directly overhead. The spiral stair case was part of the plan which is an ideal way to install the long zenith telescope. There was zenith telescope inside the monument which did point in the celestial sphere directly above it. the central shaft of the telescope leading up through spiral staircase to the top of Monument. There is a underground room where scientific instruments stored and the observations were made. The shaft continues down to underground lab. This is the same kind of telescope used by the NASA in New Mexico up until 2002 in Orbital Debris Observatory. Unfortunately, the movement of the column by the vibrations from the traffic and wind made it unsuitable for that purpose. The newly built Royal Observatory in Greenwich, co designed with Wren, made Hooke less interested in this research place.

  • OPENING TIMES: It opens daily from 09:30-13:00 and 14:00-18:00. Last entry is at 12:30 and 17:30. More details check the website
  • ENTRANCE: Tickets available for purchase only at the attraction on the day. There is limitation in the number of visitors allowed at a time to ensure safety, so expect a short wait. Check the price.
  • Tube / Underground: Monument tube station is just in front of the Monument. Bank tube station is a five-minute walk from the attraction.
  • By Train: London Bridge, Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street or Tower Gateway DLR stations are all within walking distance.
  • By Bus:17, 21, 35, 40, 47, 48, 133, 141, 149, 344, 521 are the bus routes
  • ACCESSABILITY: 311 spiral steps lead up to the public viewing platform. Step free access not available.

TIPS

  • The Tower bridge is included in the Go City Pass London, which is the much cheaper option if you are planning to visit more attractions in London.
  • As part of history a lot of school children visit this attraction during term time. The school groups visit normally on Mon-Thurs mornings between 10:00 and 11:30 , so it is better to avoid these times if you do not happy to wait.
  • There is baggage restriction: The maximum size of bag that is allowed is H40 x W25 x 15 cm. Oversized bags need to be left at the bottom of the staircase in a designated area at your own risk.

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