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London Monument
Travel Information and nearby accommodation
After the devastation of the Great Fire of London in 1666, Parliament passed a law that a monument should be erected on or near the place that the fire started at a bakehouse in Pudding Lane. To this end, Sir Christopher Wren was retained to design a column, or pillar, to commemorate the fire and the great losses incurred by the city. The result is the London Monument, or, as it is more properly termed, simply 'Monument'.
Wren collaborated with Robert Hooketo create several designs, including one with the figure of a phoenix rising out of gilded flames. Another proposal had a statue of Charles II atop a high column, but Charles declined the honour, feeling that the citizens of London might associate him with the awful devastation of the fire. His actual words were, apparently, "I didn't start the fire."
Eventually a much simpler design was approved, of a classical Greek column using the Doric order, with a flaming, gilded bronze urn on top. The column was erected on a site at the junction of Fish Street Hill and Monument Street, and the height of the column (202 feet) was exactly the distance from the base of the Monument to the site of the bakehouse on Pudding Lane where the Great Fire began.
The Monument is built of Portland stone, and it took six years to complete (1671 - 1677). It is the tallest free-standing colum in the world. An observation balcony stands beneath the urn, and this balcony can be reached by climbing a spiral staircase with 311 steps.
The square plinth at the bottom of the Monument is inscribed on three sides with Latin verse. The fourth side has an allegorical frieze by Caius Cibber, depicting Charless II in Roman garb, directing operations to rebuild the city.
The story of the Latin inscription is an interesting one; the original inscription made no mention of the popular belief that the Great Fire was started by Catholic sympathizers. But in 1681 a sentence was tacked onto the end of the inscription that read, "But Popish frenzy, which wrought such horrors, is not yet quenched." This phrase was obliterated in 1831, when anti-Catholic sentiment was not quite so severe!
The Royal Society thought that the Monument made a perfect location from which to conduct scientific experiments, but they were soon drioven away by noise and vibration from traffic below.
Between 1748 and 1842, six people committed suicide by throwing themselves off the top of the Monument. After the last of these unhappy incidents, an iron latticework cage was constructed around the balcony to prevent further attempts.
The Monument was renovated in 1834 and again in 1954 following bomb damage in World War II.
Visitors can ascend the Monument for a small fee, and receive a certificate of achievement for their exertions. The views over the rooftops of the city is quite superb, and well worth the climb.
Monument Street and Fish Street Hill,
London,
Greater London,
England
About London Monument
Attraction Type: Historic Property
Location: At the corner of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill. The nearest underground is Monument, only a matter of a few dozen steps away.
Website: London Monument
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London Monument Photos
OS TQ329807
Heritage Highlight: A real London landmark, to a design by Sir Christopher Wren.
Heritage Rating:  ?
Photos of London Monument
The Monument gilded urn |
London Monument |
Dragon carvings |
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Nearest Tourist
Information Centre
London
City Information Centre
St. Paul's Churchyard
London
Greater London
England
EC4M 8BX
Tel: 020 7332 1456
Web: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
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