The Monument to the Great Fire of London

The Monument was designed by Christopher Wren to commemorate the Great Fire of London which started in nearby Pudding Lane on 2 September 1666. The Monument is 202 feet high, the exact distance between it and where the fire began.

At £4.50 it’s a very reasonably priced attraction though it does take a bit of effort to climb all 311 steps to the top!

The views on a clear day, as it was on my visit, are spectacular and perhaps even nicer than those I took from the top of St Paul’s Cathedral.

The viewing platform is encased in a wire cage, for obvious reasons, but the holes are more than wide enough to take decent pictures through.

At the top of the Monument, and I think actually better viewed from the ground, is an urn from which flames rise, symbolising the Great Fire.

As the tallest isolated stone column in the world it’s a definite must visit, especially if you don’t mind heights or climbing. But even if you just want to see the Monument in person, it’s worth visiting.

More of my photos of the Monument can be found here.