London before the Fire was filthy, insalubrious and ramshackle, characterised by a dense web of streets and alleys, organic in their growth and ancient on plan. Buildings jettied out from upper storeys and made caves of winding lanes. Walls were built from flammable plaster and lath; roofs often of thatch.
What did London look like before the fire of London?
London in 1666
Homes arched out over the street below, almost touching in places, and the city was buzzing with people. Lots of animals lived London too – there were no cars, buses or lorries back then – so as well as houses, the city was full of sheds and yards packed high with flammable hay and straw.
What happened before the Great Fire of London?
How did the Great Fire of London start? It started at a bakery belonging to the King’s baker, Thomas Farriner. It is believed he initially put out the fire after a spark from his oven hit fuel in his kitchen. Unfortunately, by the early hours of the morning his house was ablaze and the fire began to spread.
How was London different after the Great Fire?
After the fire, new rules were brought in and every parish had to have two fire squirts, leather buckets and other fire equipment. The new designs for the City also included a requirement for a quayside to be opened up along the River Thames to make homes by the river accessible.
How did the Great Fire of London affect London?
The damage caused by the Great Fire was immense: 436 acres of London were destroyed, including 13,200 houses and 87 out of 109 churches. Some places still smouldered for months afterwards. Only 51 churches and about 9000 houses were rebuilt.
Why is London built on clay?
Tunnels in London Clay
London Clay is an ideal medium for boring tunnels, which is one reason why the London Underground railway network expanded very quickly north of the River Thames.
What did 1800s London look like?
London in the 1800s was a compact city where most people worked within walking distance of home. The narrow winding streets were often crowded with people, horses and carts,with only wealthy people able to travel by private carriage.
Who was to blame for the Great Fire of London?
In 1986, London’s bakers finally apologized to the lord mayor for setting fire to the city. Members of the Worshipful Company of Bakers gathered on Pudding Lane and unveiled a plaque acknowledging that one of their own, Thomas Farrinor, was guilty of causing the Great Fire of 1666.
What did the Great Fire of London smell like?
The Great Fire of London started in a street more famous for disgusting smells of gutted animal remains, not the fragrant aromas of baking bread.
How many houses were in London before the Great Fire?
13,200 houses, four-fifths of the City of London and 436 acres were destroyed.
Why was the Great Fire advantageous to London?
Although the Great Fire was a catastrophe, it did cleanse the city. The overcrowded and disease ridden streets were destroyed and a new London emerged. A monument was erected in Pudding Lane on the spot where the fire began and can be seen today, where it is a reminder of those terrible days in September 1666.
How long did it take to rebuild London city?
6–8 months – the period after the fire that the rebuilding is likely to have commenced, in the spring of 1667. 800 – the approximate number of buildings rebuilt in 1667. 12–15,000 – the approximate number of buildings rebuilt by 1688.
What was life like after the Great Fire of London?
Thousands camped in the fields outside the city in tents and shacks. The City of London authorities rented out plots of land on fields and other open areas that they owned so that people could build temporary homes. Shanty towns grew up in places like Moorfields, where you could rent a plot for between £7 and £36.
Who did the baker blame for the start of the fire?
It was decided the Catholics were to blame and for 150 years this was commonly believed in England. However, it is now decided that even though Thomas Farriner was so definite he had dampened down his stove fires in his bakery, the fire more than likely started in Pudding Lane after all. A lesson learned?
What stopped the Great Fire of London?
The fire reached its peak on 4 September 1666, spreading from the Temple in the west to near the Tower of London in the east. Gunpowder was used to blow up houses. It successfully stopped the fire around the Tower of London and Cripplegate.
Did anything survive the Great Fire London?
Although the Great Fire of London destroyed over 13,000 houses, almost 90 churches and even the mighty St Paul’s Cathedral, a handful of survivors managed to escape the flames and can still be seen to this day.
Why is London always gray?
Britain is particularly cloudy because it’s located in the Warm Gulfstream. The heat necessary to evaporate all that water was absorbed off the African American coast, and then transported along with the water. The air above Britain, on the other hand, is quite often coming from the polar areas and thus much colder.
Are London bricks still made?
In continuous production since 1877, the iconic London Brick has been used in the building of almost a quarter of England’s housing stock. It’s an astonishing legacy for a product that is still made in the same way as it was over 140 years ago.
Why are London bricks black?
Air pollution in London during the 19th century and early 20th century commonly caused the bricks to receive a sooty deposition over time, turning the bricks greyish or even black, but the removal of contaminants from the air following the passing of the Clean Air Act in 1956, has enabled older buildings to be cleaned
What did Victorians smell like?
By the middle of the Victorian era, bergamot and lemon oil had surpassed Eau de Cologne to become the most popular fragrance for women. According to Goodman: “Bergamot and lemon oil, sometimes employed separately but more often used in combination, was the signature smell of the middle years of the century.
What did Victorian London smell like?
The smell of human waste and industrial effluent hung over Victorian London. For centuries the River Thames had been used as a dumping ground for the capital’s waste and as the population grew, so did the problem.