The Monument London

The Monument London, or officially named the Monument to the Great Fire of London, is a stone column in Roman Doric style located in the northern end of London Bridge. As the name suggest, the column is there to commemorate the Great Fire of London which took place on 2 September 1666. There is another monument, the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, which was built to mark where the fire stopped.

The Great Fire incident happened on Sunday, starting from a bakery on Pudding Lane. It is called the “great” fire because it lasted for 3 days before it extinguished. Lives were lost and many buildings were destroyed during that period of time. The city’s gates and St Paul’s Cathedral were among the destroyed buildings. Most properties that were survived were mostly made of stone such as St. Paul’s and the Guildhall.

To commemorate the devastating disaster, the Monument was build between 1671-1677, also as a part of the attempt to rebuild the city. The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Dr. Robert Hooke.

The Monument London rises to 202 feet (62 m), making it the tallest stone column in the world. The height of the column also marks the distance from the place where the Monument stands to the site where the fire started.

The column of the Monument is made in Doric style. There is an urn of flames on the top of it made from Portland stone. Inside the column, there is a spiral staircase. The 311st stair will lead to a balcony where visitors can experience a breathtaking view of London. After the refurbishment in 2077, a camera was installed to capture the 360-dregree panoramic beauty from the top of the Monument.

Some sculptures are also integrated into the design of the column. One of the sculptors involved was Caius Gabriel Cibber who created the west panel sculpture. The sculpture on the north panel is telling about the fire.

Visiting the The Monument London

The monument’s address is Fish Street Hill, London. There is no accessibility for wheelchair. However, a live camera is installed at the bottom of the Monument to allow disabled people to enjoy the famous view from the top of the monument.

The Monument London Opening Hours:
Summer : 9.30 am to 6 pm
Winter : 9.30am to 5.30 pm

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The Monument London Ticket prices:
Adult : £3
Concession : £2
Children under 16 yo : £1.50
Joint tickets : Adult : £9
(with Tower Bridge) Children : £4
Concession : £6.20

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