History: Art and About: The Great Fire: It started at a pudding and ended at a pye.

In 1666 London burned!

In the early hours of Sunday 2 September at a bakery in Pudding Lane, London, a spark from the oven caught and a small fire began, what followed was catastrophic. The Great Fire of London, as this came to be known, spread rapidly and was only brought under control on Thursday 6 September. It gutted much of the medieval City within the walls, especially on the western side where it extended beyond this boundary too. Indecisions by authorities and techniques for fighting fires that could not handle such a blaze along with the very dry and warm weather added to the speed and huge amount of damaged caused. The aftermath saw vast amount of rebuilding and management of all the people displaced. The impact of the Fire was felt on a demographic, social, political, and economic front. The search for the Fires origin led to accusations and even a misplaced execution and the repercussions echoed through the end of the seventeen and into the eighteenth century.

This walk will explore the areas affected by this great fire, and history professor Anna Cusack will explain the events as you explore with new eyes this iconic stretch of London.