The Great Fire of London: An Illustrated History of the Great Fire of 1666

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The lesson could be expanded to ask pupils to attempt a piece of writing on the fire such as a diary entry. It seemed there was nowhere safe from the fire, so everyone was really worried – including the diary writer Samuel Pepys. Amazingly, only a few people are recorded as having died during the fire. This is probably because most deaths were not recorded. Thousands died the following winter as the conditions in the temporary accommodation erected after the fire were terrible. Pupils could read extracts (or simplified versions) from the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn. Create your own artwork based on the fire. You could use this painting by Jan Griffier for inspiration.

Rat: But while they slept, a spark must have jumped out of the oven… the fire spread across the kitchen before anyone woke up. Some of my readers may have an interest in being informed whether or not any portions of the Marshalsea Prison are yet standing. I myself did not know, until I was approaching the end of this story, when I went to look. I found the outer front courtyard, often mentioned here, metamorphosed into a butter shop. The summer of 1666 was long, hot and dry. The City of London, with its wooden homes, lit by candles and crammed together in narrow streets, was accustomed to fires. When a blaze broke out in Pudding Lane on the morning of the 2nd of September, no one could have suspected it would lead to such destruction.Discover the people, places and events of the past that shaped the present day with our primary resources for KS1 history. From ancient civilisations shrouded in mystery to transformative events of the 20th Century – we have resources for every national curriculum topic.

The top of The Monument to the Great Fire of London is reached by climbing 311 steps. Unfortunately due to the nature of the attraction, it is not suitable for people with mobility difficulties or people that use a wheelchair.Pepys spoke to the Admiral of the Navy and agreed they should blow up houses in the path of the fire. The hope was that by doing this they would create a space to stop the fire spreading from house to house. But before they could use fire hooks, the people of Pudding Lane needed to ask the Lord Mayor if they were allowed to – and he had to say ‘yes’.