Private Tour: Great Fire of London Tour

 

The Great Fire of London, September 1666, was one of the capital's most historically significant events. Leaving destruction and despair in its wake, the fire also led to the modernisation of housing and infrastructure, forcing large attitudinal changes towards safety and poverty

- Learn about a momentous moment in London's history – the effects of which are clearly visible today

- Trace the path of the fire, from Pudding Lane to St Paul's Cathedral

- See other key Great Fire sites like Monument and piece together pictures and archive material

- Get personalised suggestions for post-tour reading, documentaries to watch and other interesting sights to visit

- Focus on what interests you: from history, architecture and sightseeing to fire engines

- Visit a medieval tavern, frequented by Dickens, that survived the fire

In the early hours of September 2nd, 1666, a small fire broke out at a bakery on Pudding Lane. The conditions were optimal for disaster – the timber houses were situated in extremely close proximity to one other, one witness reporting that you could wake up in the morning, open the window and shake hands with your neighbour. The city had also been plagued by drought for about 6 months, meaning that the timber was particularly dry. The fire escalated rapidly, burning down around 13,000 homes and 87 churches over the course of four days and severely damaged St Paul’s Cathedral. What happened and how did the fire wreak so much havoc?

On this Private Great Fire of London Tour, you will learn about how the fire began and how it spread. Debate some of the key issues surrounding the topic with your expert guide. If not for Baker Thomas Farriner’s carelessness with a few dying embers, would London have remained a medieval city? Or was this a tragedy waiting to happen? Did the fire paradoxically cause more good than bad, or do we underestimate the scale of the fire’s damage? What about the people who lost their homes?

You and your guide will trace the key sites of the Great Fire with a walk around the City of London: from Pudding Lane, Monument and old local churches to alleyways and pre-1666 taverns. See how the area has been transformed, what remains and explore some archive materials to build up an accurate picture of events and London at that time

Bring history to life with visits to key places of interest and learn about the fascinating and often unbelievable stories around the fire

Redeem information
Voucher type: Printed and e-Voucher
Printed voucher or E-voucher. Print and bring the voucher or show the voucher on your mobile device to enjoy the activity.

Location
Start point:
Fish Street Hill. Monument great fire London - EC3R 8AH - UK
Please ensure you arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes prior to the tour start time.

End point: Same as the starting point

Schedule
Duration: 2 Hours

Guide options
Guide type: Guide
Group type: Private

Recommendations
Please wear comfortable shoes.