Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London in 1666 was the greatest catastrophe of its kind in Western Europe. Although detailed fire precautions and fire-fighting arrangements were in place, the fire raged for four days and destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches and 44 of the City of London's great livery halls. The Great Fire closely followed the Great Plague of 1665; as the antiquary Anthony Wood wrote, these disasters left London `much impoverished, discontented, afflicted, cast downe'.In this comprehensive study, Stephen Porter examines the background to 1666, events leading up to the fire and the progress of the conflagration, the proposals to rebuild the city and the progress of the rebuilding. He places the fire firmly in context, revealing not only its impact on London's fabric, but also the implications for town planning, building styles and fire precautions both in the capital and provincial towns.
The Great Fire of London was the greatest catastrophe of its kind in Western Europe. Although detailed fire precautions and firefighting arrangements were in place, the fire raged for four days and destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, and 44 of the City of London’s great livery halls. The great fire of 1666 closely followed by the great plague of 1665; as the antiquary Anthony Wood wrote left London "much impoverished, discontented, afflicted, cast downe." In this comprehensive account, Stephen Porter examines the background to 1666, events leading up to and during the fire, the proposals to rebuild the city, and the progress of the five-year program which followed. He places the fire firmly in context, revealing not only its destructive impact on London but also its implications for town planning, building styles, and fire precautions both in the capital and provincial towns.