The Great Fire of London - 1666

On 2nd September 1666, a gust of blew down the chimney of baker Thomas Farriner, which was in Pudding Lane. The embers of his oven were blown onto the floor, which was covered in straw.   

When, on 5th September when the fire eventually burnt itself out, the City lay in ruins. The destruction included 13,5000 houses, 87 churches, 44 Livery Halls, the Royal Exchange, the Custom House, St Paul’s Cathedral, the General Letter Office & three City Gates (Ludgate, Newgate & Aldersgate). The number of casualties has always been thought of as being no more than ten people, with more dying in the cold winter that followed due to a lack of accommodation.  

However, this could all have been (potentially) averted. Farriner was a member of the Worshipful Company of Bakers who were responsible (amongst other things) for enforcing the ‘Bread Assize’. This was a law regulating the price, weight & quality of bread (& beer) within two miles of the City of London.   

In the Court Room of the Company Hall, Bakers could be tried for short weights or adding extra sand to the flour. This was an era when coarse sandstones were used in the milling process so there was always going to be bits of stone in the mix. It is why numerous skulls from the Medieval period show teeth that have been worn down as a result. Another was to add sawdust.

Farriner was brought before the Court a few years before the Great Fire & was almost thrown out of the Company. This would have meant he would not be able to make bread anymore within the City. The judges at the Court decided to give him one more chance. The history of the London would have been very different if they had decided to kicked him out of the Company instead of allowing him to continue. 

📍 Location

Pudding Lane, London, EC3R 8AJ

Nearest public transport is Monument Station (Circle, District).

Why not find out more about the Great Fire of London with one of the GuidesofLondon tours?