Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London was a major fire that swept through the City of London from September 2 to September 5 1666, and resulted more or less in the destruction of the city. Before this fire, the fire of 1212, which destroyed a large part of the city, was known by the same name. Later, the Luftwaffe's fire-raid on the City on 29th December 1940 became known as The Second Great Fire of London.

Cultural impact

The Monument to the Great Fire of London, known simply as The Monument, was designed by Wren and Robert Hooke. It is close to the site where the fire started², near the northern end of London Bridge. The corner of Giltspur Street and Cock Lane where the fire ended was known as Pye Corner, and is marked by a small gilded statue known as the Fat Boy or the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, supposedly a reference to the theory expounded by a non-conformist preacher who said:

Related Topics:
Monument to the Great Fire of London - Robert Hooke - London Bridge - Giltspur Street - Cock Lane - Golden Boy of Pye Corner

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the calamity could not have been the sin of blasphemy for in that case it would have began at Billingsgate, nor lewdness for then Drury Lane would have been first on fire nor lying for then the flames would have reached the City from Westminster Hall. No, it was occasioned by the sin of gluttony for it began at Pudding Lane and ended at Pye Corner.

Related Topics:
Sin - Blasphemy - Billingsgate - Lewdness - Drury Lane - Lying - City - Westminster Hall - Gluttony

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John Dryden commemorated the fire in his poem of 1667, Annus Mirabilis. Dryden worked, in his poem, to counteract paranoia about the causes of the fire and proposed that the fire was part of a year of miracles, rather than a year of disasters. The fact that Charles was already planning to rebuild a glorious city atop the ashes and the fact that there were so few reported fatalities were, to Dryden, signs of divine favor, rather than curse.

Related Topics:
John Dryden - 1667 - Annus Mirabilis

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This is an extract from the Diary of Samuel Pepys:

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By and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have been burned down tonight by the fire we saw, and that it is now burning down all Fish Street, by London Bridge. So I made myself ready presently, and walked to the Tower; and there got up upon one of the high places, and there I did see the houses at the end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite great fire on this and the other side of the bridge!

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