Restoration of The Monument

scaffolding at the top of the monument to the Great Fire of London

In July 2007, the decision was taken to close The Monument for an extensive repair and improvement restoration project. The restoration lasted for 18 months and The Monument reopened to visitors in February 2009. Prior to this, the last restoration work on this impressive London landmark was carried out around 1888.

The project was funded by the City of London Corporation which provided a £4.4 million grant to carry out the restoration project, which also involved improving facilities at The Monument.

scaffolding at the top of the monument to the Great Fire of London

What was restored?

The Monument to the Great Fire of London is a Grade 1 listed building (the highest designation possible) and Scheduled Monument and its restoration project included the extensive and time-consuming task of cleaning and repairing the Monument’s famous Portland stonework. The project also including re-gilding of its impressive golden orb situated at the very top.

During the closure, new lighting was added to the viewing platform, which allows visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the London skyline 160ft above all year round.

Future plans to improve The Monument

In 2018, The Monument plaza was refurbished to create a welcoming area for visitors to congregate and marvel at the magnificent structure. This refurbishment included a new plaque marking 350 years since the Great Fire and new benches adorned with lines from the famous nursery rhyme, London’s Burning.

The Monument is an iconic piece of British heritage and we are proud to restore and maintain this incredible London attraction that Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke created. Their vision was remarkable for the time they designed and built it in and the restoration project, along with future planned improvements aim to maintain this historic London feature.

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