360The Great Fire of London
In September 1666, a fire that began in a bakery on Pudding Lane burned for four days and destroyed most of the City of London, including more than 13,000 houses and St Paul's Cathedral. London was rebuilt in brick and stone, and the disaster led to new building rules and the growth of fire insurance.
In the early hours of Sunday 2 September 1666, a fire broke out in Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane. A long, dry summer and a strong east wind helped it spread through narrow streets of timber houses.
The fire burned until 6 September. It destroyed about 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St Paul's Cathedral and many public buildings. Tens of thousands of people lost their homes, though the recorded number of deaths was small.
Rebuilding changed the city. New laws required houses to be built of brick or stone, and streets were widened. The architect Christopher Wren designed a new St Paul's Cathedral and dozens of churches. A tall column, the Monument, was built near the spot where the fire began.
The disaster also encouraged the first fire insurance companies, which kept their own fire brigades. The idea of insurance against disaster spread from London around the world.
- 2 September 1666
- Fire starts on Pudding Lane
- 6 September 1666
- Fire is brought under control
- 1667
- Rebuilding Act sets new building rules
- 1711
- Wren's St Paul's Cathedral completed
Sources: Museum of London · Britannica · The Monument.