Discover

Discover the events events leading up to the Great Fire, which devastated the City 1666, and the subsequent rebuilding of the City of London.

Daniele continues by discussing the design of The Monument, its architects, Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke, and its construction between 1671 and 1677.

We continue this tour through the history of The Monument looking at the four panels that adorn the plinth including Caius Gabriel Cibber's iconic frieze.

In the final episode, Daniele explores some of the stories from the history of The Monument, including scientific experiments, suffragettes and a mouse.

The Monument to the Great Fire of London has been included in Historic England’s ‘Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 places’ campaign.

The list aims to highlight 100 places, buildings and historical sites that tell the remarkable story of England and its impact on the World. The Monument was nominated by the public for the category ‘Loss and Destruction’ and selected by classicist Mary Beard. It was highlighted that The Monument stands as both a commemoration of the devastating fire and a celebration of the City being rebuilt.

Mary Beard said The Monument is “one of the most lasting memorials to a disaster ever, which is still written into the street scenes, geography and place names of modern London.”

Click the play button on the right to listen to the podcast.

In 2016, we commemorated the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London with this special edition podcast in partnership with Londonist Out Loud. 

Education Officer at Tower Bridge and The Monument, David Laird, spent an afternoon with writer and cult podcast producer, N Quentin Woolf, to explore the history of The Monument in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London.