The Monument

Facts and information

Address:: Monument, Monument Street, The City,
London EC3R 8AH
England
Website:: www.themonument.info
Opening times:: 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM; Last admission 5 PM
Cost:: Adults £3.00; Children £1.50; Note: Opening times & prices are subject to change, and may not apply on public holidays. Always reconfirm with the venue before making plans.
Telephone:: Work +44 (0) 207 626 2717
Buses:: 11 15 17 21 23 25 35 40 43 47 48 133 141 149 343 344 381 521 RV1
Trains:: Bank CNT DLR NRN W&C, Cannon Street CRC DSC, London Bridge JUB NRN, Mansion House CRC DSC, Monument CRC DSC, Tower Hill CRC DSC Note: The nearest train station to Monument is Monument. We can help you find the best route from any other train station:
Train journey to Monument

^{Monument to the Great Fire}

^{The Monument, near Pudding Lane}

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The Monument is a memorial to the damage caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, and built between 1671 and 1677.

It measures 203-feet from top to bottom – the exact distance from its base to Pudding Lane, where the fire broke out. A flaming copper urn sits upon the top, to symbolise the flames.

Great Fire of London, 1666

There are four inscriptions chiselled around the sides… The one on the north describes how the Great Fire of London started, and the one on the south shows King Charles II taking action after the event. The words on the east side describe how the Monument was built.

There is also a section detailing the destruction in the City, a small sample of which is shown below:

The ruins of the city were 436 acres (1.8 km²), viz. 333 acres (1.3 km²) within the walls, and 63 acres (255,000 m²) in the liberties of the city; that, of the six-and-twenty wards, it utterly destroyed fifteen, and left eight others shattered and half burnt; and that it consumed 400 streets, 13,200 dwelling-houses, 89 churches [besides chapels]; 4 of the city gates, Guildhall, many public structures, hospitals, schools, libraries, and a vast number of stately edifices.

An extra message was chiselled on in 1681 – But Popish frenzy, which wrought such horrors, is not yet quenched. This was a reference to the anti-Catholic feeling of the times, and was scrubbed out in 1831 when Catholics were given civil rights.

Pudding Lane today

Pudding Lane today is nothing much to look at – it is filled with modern office blocks. But if you want to take a look then walk up Fish Street Hill. Turn right into Eastcheap, and then right again into the famous lane.

You can also get a good view from above, by climbing the 311 steps to the Monument’s viewing platform.

>> Drummerboy’s blog – The Monument

Drummerboy – “If you’ve three quid in your pocket and a spare half hour, and don’t mind giving yourself a heart attack then give the Monument a go. The little leaflet says there’s only 311 steps but I think they must have miscounted because it seemed like more to me. The little stone steps wind tightly up the column for a million miles and it just goes on forever and ever. When I got to the top I had a pair of jelly legs. I guess I must be pretty unfit. Apparently suicidal people used to come up here and hurl themselves off the top, but I reckon a few of them must have died on the way up… continued.”

>> Write a review of Monument Read all reviews

Terrible 17%

Poor 17%

Okay 33%

Interesting 33%

Exceptional 0%

JerrySmith – “I've done Tower Bridge for the views, so this was the obvious next place to go. Unfortunately the views aren't all that good, because it's too short. Apparently there was a time when The Monument was the tallest structure in London, but those days are long… read the full review”
JP1964 – “I quite liked the views from here. it's nice looking out over the offices and buildings and watching the world go by. if you use one of the little telescopes then you can literally see everything that is going on like a spy, i had a good nose into the wind… read the full review”