The Monument - to many an unknown part of London (The Monument (London))

Member Name: chrisc92

Product:	The Monument (London)
Date:	03/07/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A remorial to the Great Fire of London

Disadvantages: Not part of the normal London tours

I knew nothing about The Monument before visiting London about 20 years ago

I'm fascinated by history (hence my visit to Tintagel Castle whilst on my most recent holiday), and it intrigued me to know why there was an underground station called Monument - what was it, and why was it there?

So, after walking out of the station to find this towering statue in this narrow lane came as a surprise, and yes towering - at 61m high I found it incredibly difficult to see the very top.

It was built between 1671 and 1677 as a commemoration to the Great Fire of London and a celebration of the rebuilding of the city of London. The fire itself starting in Pudding Lane in a Bakers Shop in 1666. It was designed by Christopher Wren and is exactly 61m (202 ft) - yes height is exactly it's distance East from the orginal location.

Many designs were planned and the final one includes a plaque in Latin at the base and a gilt bronze urn at the very top.

The Monument is not recognised as highly as Trafalgar Square, but it is a significant remorial to London's history.

If you have a little time whilst you're there, it's certainly worth taking a look - why don't you look at it's website (link below).

It also proves what can be done out of adversety, with so much of London destroyed in the fire during Charles II reign. Many of it's churches were designed by Christopher Wren including St Pauls - it's a story that inspires the imagination, and I will be visiting the site again when I visit the capital next month for a city break.

http://www.themonument.info

Summary: A fantastic reminder to London's history