Four days of fire
In the early hours of 2 September 1666, a fire began at a bakery in Pudding Lane. Strong winds helped the flames spread through the tightly packed streets of the City of London, where many buildings were made of timber and stood close together. The fire burned for four days before being brought under control.
The destruction was enormous: thousands of homes and many churches and civic buildings were lost. Yet the number of deaths recorded at the time was surprisingly small. That figure may not tell the whole story, since poor residents and deaths that went undocumented could be missing from official accounts.
Rebuilding the city
After the fire, plans were proposed for a completely redesigned London, with wider streets and grand avenues. Most residents needed homes and businesses rebuilt quickly, so much of the medieval street pattern returned. New rules encouraged brick and stone construction, helping to change the city’s appearance. Christopher Wren later designed several churches, including the new St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Great Fire became a defining episode in London’s story. It destroyed a large part of the old City, but it also prompted changes to building practices and urban life. The Monument, completed in 1677 near the fire’s starting point, still marks the event. Its inscription and the stories told about the blaze show how a disaster can become part of a city’s identity.