Pic from a bus - Part 2

This weeks Pic From A Bus picture is of The Monument. It's located on the north bank of the Thames next to London Bridge & is a monument marking the location the Great Fire of London began in 1666. (Actually the starting place can be found by taking the column & laying it down. It is exactly the same height as it is distance from the exact spot it started)



It was a fire that lasted for 3 days & since this was very much a period of building primarily being made of wood, it virtually destroyed the city. According to Wikipedia:

"It destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, 6 chapels, 44 Company Halls, the Royal Exchange, the Custom House, St Pauls Cathedral, the Guildhall, the Bridewell Palace and other City prisons, the Session House, four bridges across the rivers Thames and Fleet, and three city gates, and made homeless 100,000 people."

When I think about the terrible times when there was a bushfire raging through parts of Canberra & how much fear, confusion & devestation that relatively minor fire caused - well, the Great Fire is hard to imagine.

The Monument was designed by Wren & Hooke. It is topped with a gilded urn full of fire. For those wanting to know a bit more, or wanting to see more pics, go here.

It costs a couple of pounds for the pleasure of walking the 300 steps or so to the top & is definately one of the things on our "must do before leaving London" list.