London in 1666 About 350,000 people lived in London just before the Great Fire, it was one of the largest cities in Europe. Homes arched out over the street below, almost touching in places, and the city was buzzing with people.
How was London improved after the great fire?
As disastrous as the damage was, King Charles II embraced the rebuilding process as an opportunity to improve London. He commissioned architect Sir Christopher Wren to redesign St. Paul’s Cathedral as well as other major parts of London.
What was London like in 1666?
London was a big city even back in the 1660s. A lot of people lived and worked there, but it wasn’t very clean so it was easy to get sick. Overcrowding was a huge problem in London – when people did get sick diseases spread very quickly, and thousands of people died during the Great Plague in 1665-1666.
How did London start burning?
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 long was the drought that happened before the Great Fire of London?
The fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane. The fire started on 2nd September 1666 and was finally put out on the 5th September 1666. Many of the houses in London at the time were made from wood and straw. There had been a drought lasting 10 months before the fire.
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 was London rebuilt after the fire and how long did it take?
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 London like in 1666 for kids?
The London summer of 1666 had been very hot with no rain. As a result, the city was very dry, which meant the wooden houses and buildings caught fire extremely easily. In addition, there were many warehouses nearby which were full of flammable materials such as wood and oil.
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.
Was the Great Fire of London a good thing?
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.
Who was to blame for the 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.
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?
Who really started the Great Fire of London?
The Great Fire of London is considered one of the most well-known, and devastating disasters in London’s history. It began at 1am on Sunday 2 September 1666 in Thomas Fariner’s bakery on Pudding Lane. It is believed to have been caused by a spark from his oven falling onto a pile of fuel nearby.
How long did it not rain for in 1976?
2016 marked the 40th anniversary of the 1976 drought, the driest 16-month period in over 200 years across the UK and one of the most severe droughts on record. The exceptionally dry period began in May 1975 and lasted 16 months.
Why is UK so dry?
The combination of record temperatures and low rainfall has left the UK’s land much drier than it should be. Data from the UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology shows that most of south and east England have very dry conditions underground.
When was the worst drought in the UK?
1975-76
1975-76 is perhaps the most well-known drought of recent decades. In England and Wales, two consecutive dry winters (1974/5 and 1975/6) were followed by a very hot and dry summer in 1976. Many restrictions on water use were introduced, including rota cuts in South Wales and standpipes in parts of Devon.
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.
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.
What did we learn from the Great Fire of London?
It destroyed almost the whole city of London and many people lost their homes. This led us to think about what went wrong and what the people in London did to try and save themselves and their belongings. We acted out different scenarios, thinking about what we would do today and how we would act differently.
How long did London take to rebuild?
Thirty or more years. The main centres were rebuilt quite rapidly, but the flattened areas allowed reconstruction to be with more modern designs for living. Even during the war procedures were in place for reconstruction.
Who was responsible for rebuilding London?
Christopher Wren
The rebuilding of London was orchestrated by a Rebuilding Commission composed of six men—three appointed by the Crown, including Christopher Wren, and three chosen by the City, including Robert Hooke. All were experienced in either surveying, building or architectural design.