Stories from the Great Fire of London: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Overview

In September 1666, London burned for four days in one of history’s most infamous disasters. On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll trace the fire’s path of destruction, and hear eyewitness accounts from those who watched their city transform to ash and smoke. Starting in front of the monument to the Great Fire of London, you’ll follow its devastating progress from its origin in Pudding Lane. You’ll learn how the city’s narrow medieval streets helped it spread so rapidly, consuming 13,200 houses and 87 churches, and how a few buildings miraculously survived. As you walk the modern thoroughfares that rose from the ashes, you’ll hear how various folk reacted, from Lord Mayor Thomas Bloodworth’s shameful inaction to King Charles II’s heroic 30-hour firefighting efforts. As you make your way to Temple Church, you’ll walk in the footsteps of diarists Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, whose accounts bring the terrible destruction to life.