The Monument to the Great Fire of London is a 202-foot stone column in the City of London, built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the fire that destroyed most of the medieval city in September 1666. Designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, it stands exactly 202 feet from the spot on Pudding Lane where the fire began — a detail built into the design on purpose. Visitors can climb its 311 spiral steps to a viewing platform for one of the City’s best panoramic views, for a modest admission fee, just steps from Monument Underground station.

History of The Monument

Commemorating the Great Fire of 1666

The Great Fire of London broke out in the early hours of 2 September 1666 in a bakery on Pudding Lane belonging to Thomas Farriner, the King’s baker. Over four days it destroyed roughly four-fifths of the medieval City of London, including old St Paul’s Cathedral and 87 parish churches. In 1669, three years after the fire, an Act of Parliament called for a permanent column to be built near the site of the outbreak, both to mark the disaster and to celebrate the city’s rebuilding. The site chosen was Fish Street Hill, on the ground once occupied by St Margaret, New Fish Street — the very first church destroyed by the fire.

Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke’s Design

Sir Christopher Wren, Surveyor General to Charles II and the architect who would go on to design the new St Paul’s Cathedral, was asked to draw up the design. He worked closely with Robert Hooke, the scientist and fellow member of the Royal Society who was serving as City Surveyor at the time. Exactly how the credit should be divided between them is still debated by historians — Hooke’s original drawings for the column survive with Wren’s signature on them, indicating approval rather than settling the question of sole authorship, and some modern sources, including Encyclopaedia Britannica, credit Hooke as the primary designer. What’s not disputed is the finished result: a fluted Doric column in Portland stone, built between 1671 and 1677, topped with a gilded bronze urn of flames rather than the phoenix statue or 15-foot statue of Charles II that were considered and rejected — the King himself reportedly objected to the statue idea, worried people might assume he’d had a hand in starting the fire.

As leading figures of the Scientific Revolution, Wren and Hooke gave The Monument a second, hidden purpose: it was built to double as a giant zenith telescope, with a small laboratory concealed beneath it for observing gravity and pendulum experiments. The plan was abandoned not long after completion — vibrations from the surrounding streets and traffic made precise readings impossible — but the hollow shaft and the buried laboratory remain part of the structure today.

The 202-Foot Question

The Monument’s height is not a round or arbitrary number. At exactly 202 feet tall, it stands precisely 202 feet from the site on Pudding Lane where the fire is traditionally said to have started — meaning that if the column were tipped over on its side, its tip would land almost exactly on the spot. It’s one of the more elegant pieces of architectural symbolism in London, and it’s verifiable on the ground today: a plaque near Monument station marks the approximate site of Farriner’s bakery, a short walk from the column’s base.

The Popish Plot Inscription

Three sides of The Monument’s pedestal carry Latin inscriptions: one describing the destruction caused by the fire, one detailing Charles II’s actions to rebuild the city, and one recording the mayors under whom the column was built. In 1681, a fourth line was added to the inscription describing the fire’s destruction, laying blame on a “Popish frenzy” — reflecting the anti-Catholic hysteria whipped up by the fabricated “Popish Plot” conspiracy of the period, despite there being no credible evidence tying Catholics to the fire’s cause. The line was briefly defaced under the Catholic King James II in the 1680s, then restored after his removal from the throne in 1689, and remained in place for well over a century. It was only permanently chiselled out in December 1830, following the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, once the political climate that had produced it had genuinely changed. The removed wording can still be read today, translated, inside the small exhibition space at the base of the column — a rare case of a monument honestly preserving the record of its own earlier bias rather than erasing it.

The Cage That Wasn’t Always There

The wire mesh enclosing today’s viewing platform wasn’t part of Wren and Hooke’s original design — for its first century and a half, the platform had only a low balcony. Following a small number of deaths from the open platform between 1788 and 1842, the City closed The Monument temporarily in 1842 and reopened it with the iron and wire cage that still surrounds the platform today. It’s the reason modern visitors photograph the view through a mesh screen rather than an open railing, and it’s been part of the structure for longer than it existed without one.

Visiting The Monument: Practical Information

Opening hours: Daily, 09:30–13:00 and 14:00–18:00 (closed for a lunch break between 13:00 and 14:00), with last admission at 12:30 and 17:30. The Monument opens slightly later, at 10:00, on 1 January, and is closed 24–26 December. Hours can occasionally change at short notice for maintenance, so it’s worth checking themonument.org.uk on the day if your visit depends on a specific time.

Ticket prices: Adult (16+) £7.00, Child (5–15) £3.50, Student (with ID) £5.30, Senior (60+, with ID) £5.30, Disabled Adult £5.30, Disabled Child £2.60, with one free companion per disabled visitor. Under-5s go free. A joint ticket combining The Monument with the Tower Bridge Exhibition is also available — check themonument.org.uk for current combined pricing, since it’s updated separately from single-attraction tickets.

Nearest station: Monument (Circle and District lines) sits directly outside — the station takes its name from the column itself. Bank station (Central, Northern, Waterloo & City, DLR) is a two-to-three-minute walk away and offers more line connections if you’re travelling from further afield.

How long to allow: Most visitors spend 30–45 minutes at The Monument, including the climb, time at the viewing platform, and a look at the small exhibition space at the base.

Accessibility: The Monument is not wheelchair accessible. The only way to the viewing platform is via the original 311-step spiral staircase — there is no lift, and the stairs are narrow with no passing space, so visitors with mobility restrictions, breathing conditions, or severe vertigo should factor this in before buying a ticket.

Managing body: The Monument is owned, funded and managed by the City of London Corporation, the same local authority responsible for the City’s other historic sites and green spaces.

Best time to visit: During school term time, The Monument is often busy with school groups on weekday mornings between roughly 10:00 and 11:30, which can mean a longer wait to start the climb. Arriving right at opening (09:30) or in the early afternoon after the lunch closure tends to be quieter.

Nearby: The Tower of London is a 10–15 minute walk east along the riverside. Leadenhall Market, the Victorian covered market used as a filming location for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films, is a five-minute walk north. St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge are roughly a 15-minute walk west.

Practical details last verified against themonument.org.uk on 5 August 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Monument to the Great Fire of London?

The Monument is a 202-foot stone column in the City of London, built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London of 1666. Designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, it stands close to Pudding Lane, where the fire began, and visitors can climb its 311 internal steps to a public viewing platform.

Why is The Monument exactly 202 feet tall?

The Monument’s height of 202 feet is the same as its distance from the site on Pudding Lane where the Great Fire is traditionally said to have started. If the column were laid on its side, its tip would land almost exactly on that spot — a deliberate piece of design by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke.

How many steps are there to the top of The Monument?

There are 311 spiral stone steps from the entrance to the public viewing platform, which sits around 160 feet above street level. There is no lift, so the climb is the only way to reach the top. Visitors who complete it are given a certificate to mark the achievement.

What is the nearest tube station to The Monument?

Monument station, served by the Circle and District lines, sits directly outside the entrance and is named after the column itself. Bank station, with several additional Underground and DLR lines, is a two-to-three-minute walk away.

Is The Monument wheelchair accessible?

No. The only route to the viewing platform is the original 311-step spiral staircase, and there is no lift. Visitors with mobility restrictions or conditions that make stairs difficult should be aware of this before planning a visit.

Was The Monument’s inscription really anti-Catholic?

Yes. A line added to the inscription in 1681, during a period of anti-Catholic hysteria known as the Popish Plot, falsely blamed Catholics for starting the fire. It remained on the column, with a brief interruption, for nearly 150 years before being permanently removed in 1830 following the Catholic Emancipation Act. The original wording is preserved and translated in the exhibition space at the base of The Monument today.

What can you see from the top of The Monument?

The viewing platform offers 360-degree views across the City of London, including the Thames, Tower Bridge, the Shard, and the surrounding financial district, seen through the protective wire mesh that has enclosed the platform since 1842. It’s one of the best value viewpoints in central London for the admission price.

The Monument sits within easy reach of several other Landmarks & Monuments covered on Chronicle Trails, including the Tower of London, a short walk east, and Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster further west along the river. For more on London’s history and landmarks, visit our England hub or browse the full Travel Guides.