| The Monument, City of London (picture by Richard Herring) |  |
The Monument, City of London
Photographer Description of The Monument, City of London
View from the Monument, November 2006. Stitched from a series of hand-held shots.The Monument, City of London - Further Information
The Monument (Monument to the Fire of London) is an important landmark in the City of London, a 202 foot high tower commemorating the great Fire of London that started in Pudding Lane (202 feet to the east) and destroyed 80% of the city in 1666.It is a hollow column and a circular stairway allows access to the viewing platform at the top, just under the bronze flaming urn representing the Fire of London. It is the tallest isolated stone column on earth.Today, the Monument is a popular tourist attraction, offering good panoramic views over the City, along the Thames to Tower Bridge and as far upriver as the London Eye. Other popular landmarks visible from the top of the Monument include The Tower of London, City Hall, HMS Belfast, Tate Modern the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral and the top of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament).
On the North side of the Monument is a Latin inscription which translates as "In the year of Christ 1666, on 2 September, at a distance eastward from this place of 202 ft, which is the height of this column, a fire broke out in the dead of night which, the wind blowing, devoured even distant buildings, and rushed devastating through every quarter with astonishing swiftness and noise. On the third day at the bidding, we may well believe, of heaven, the fire stayed its course and everywhere died out."
The Monument was also built as a scientific instrument. Designed by Wren and Robert Hooke, it included a laboratory in the basement, a Zenith telescope and all the steps are exactly 6 inches high allowing for accurate experiments investigating pressure and pendulums.
The Monument received a £4.5m face-lift during 2008. It is a ticketed tourist attraction open to the public. Those who ascend the 311 steps to the top are given a certificate as they leave. Entrance to the Monument and some other surrounding London tourist attractions is free with the London Pass.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
Tube: Bank (Central, Jubilee, Northern lines and DLR), Monument (Circle, District lines)