Monument to the Great Fire of London

The Monument to the Great Fire of London

The London audio-guided tour has you discover the Monument, a tall column of sixty-one metres erected in tribute to the tragedy that struck the city in 1666. It recalls with gravity one of the most significant episodes of the history of London.

The Great Fire of 1666

The fire began in a bakery of the City district, not far from London Bridge, and spread rapidly, destroying everything in its path. More than thirteen thousand buildings, including the old St Paul's Cathedral, disappeared in the flames, and more than seventy thousand Londoners were left homeless. The district was fortunately rebuilt quickly, giving birth to the city we know today.

What there is to see

The column, surmounted by a gilded flaming urn, was raised by the architect Christopher Wren, to whom the reconstruction of many buildings of the City is owed. Its height corresponds to the distance separating it from the place where the fire began. An interior staircase leads to a platform offering a view over the City of London. It is a monument both commemorative and panoramic.

Practical information

The Monument stands in the City of London, near London Bridge. The column can be contemplated freely from the street; the climb to the platform follows its own schedule, with a charge, whose opening times may vary with the season.

What does the Monument commemorate?

The Great Fire of London of 1666, which destroyed more than thirteen thousand buildings and left tens of thousands of Londoners homeless.

Who designed the Monument?

The architect Christopher Wren; its height of sixty-one metres corresponds to the distance separating it from the place where the fire began.