Great fire of Londons 350th commemorative events and the Monument

This friday day marks the 350th anniversary of the great fire of London, So with that I decided to visit the Monument which commemorates this event. The last time I visited I was about 8 years old with my Grandmother, so I was especially excited to see if I could handle looking down on the splendid views this time around.

The Monument was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the building of the city of London after the great fire of London.

The fire of London started on the 2nd of septmeber 1666, . To mark this there are 350 events being set up as part of Londons burning a festival of arts. You can see projection of fire on St Pauls cathedral, or even hear  a free guided tour of the Monument until the 2nd September.

The Great fire raged for 3 days and as we all know started in an bakers shop. The Monument stands at 61 metres high and if laid flat this is exact distance from the monument to where the fire started in Pudding lane.

Over 13,200 houses in 400 streets had been burned down or demolished to create firebreaks, Eighty-six of the City’s 109 churches were either badly damaged or destroyed. Among the other historic buildings to be lost to the flames were 44 company halls and Baynard’s Castle, the medieval setting for the coronations of Edward IV and Mary I.

70,000-80,000 people were made homeless. Surprisingly only a few people died in the fire, with only six fatalities recorded.

The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and is made from portland stone. A total of 311 steps  take you to the viewing platform where you can see the most amazing views of london from all sides.

Below is the walky talky, the gherkin and the cheese grater.

Anyone can visit the monument it costs around  £4 per adult and £2.70 per child. Children under 13 however need to be accompanied by an adult and provided you can manage the 311 steps you are good to go.

But for this weekend only you can visit it free! As part of the weekend of Great Fire 350. From the 2nd of september to the 4th, Tickets will be required for timed entry and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. You can even get a limited special edition entry ticket and/or a certificate after your visit.

Opening times are extended on these dates.

Below is the view over Tower Bridge looking out to Canary Wharf.

I definitely think its worth another visit to see the sun in another direction. Or maybe wait until the winter to catch a perfect sunset.

The stairs are easy to manage and get slightly smaller at the top, there is room to cross with people coming the other way and the whole of the platform is caged in. The old wrought iron around the platform was replaced by a new steel cage in 2008 and leaves a perfect view.

You even get a certificate for climbing the Monument!

I think it is simply amazing that you can see all of the old buildings mixed in with the new, here you can see the dome of St Pauls mixed in with new constructions.

This beautiful wooden structure below is Designed by American artist David Best, this extraordinary representation of the 17th-century London skyline will  be floated on the river Thames and set alight in a dramatic retelling of the story of the Great Fire. Again all part of the 350 events.

600 hundred school children have taken part in a number of workshops in the construction of the piece , For many of them this inspirational project has been a life-changing opportunity , and many have gained a CSCS certificate and further employment qualifications in this unique environment.

To find out more of the events being held over the next weekend and coming months you can visit Visit londons website for more info.

I know I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and ill be back.