The Great Fire of London: An Illustrated History of the Great Fire of 1666

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Source 4. Catalogue ref: ZMAP 4/18 On the corner of his map, Hollar put some information. It is a list of places that are numbered on the map. This is called a key. The Great Fire of London started on Sunday, 2 September 1666 in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane belonging to Thomas Farynor (Farriner). Although he claimed to have extinguished the fire, three hours later at 1am, his house was a blazing inferno. Samuel Pepys, a man who lived at the time, kept a diary that has been well preserved – you can read it in full here. He was a Clerk to the Royal Navy who observed the fire. He recommended to the King that buildings were pulled down – many thought it was the only way to stop the fire.

Source 5. Catalogue ref: SP 29/171 King Charles praised the courage of the people in the fire. He hoped to see a more beautiful city rebuilt. He also made plans to prevent another fire. Here are some of his plans. Explore our Event Calendar to find educational events throughout the entire year. Each event includes: Pupils could read extracts (or simplified versions) from the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn. The lesson could be expanded to ask pupils to attempt a piece of writing on the fire such as a diary entry. Pepys spoke to the Admiral of the Navy and agreed they should blow up houses in the path of the fire. The hope was that by doing this they would create a space to stop the fire spreading from house to house.Children will love examining the rich detail of each spread, from the detailed city map to the drawings of London before, during and after the fire took hold. This book takes the dramatic historical information surrounding the Great Fire of London and transforms it into a breathtaking story that will transfix readers of all ages.

I’m not on social media but just wanted to reach out and say I have been recommending you to everyone I know, with kids of course! Two people have left us eyewitness accounts of the fire. The first is Samuel Pepys, who worked for the Navy. He kept a diary from 1660-1669. The second is John Evelyn, who also kept a diary. Both men describe how dramatic and scary the fire was.

All the houses in London were so close together, which is a very good thing for escaping…But it also helped the fire to spread. Not everyone at the time thought that the fire was an accident. Some said foreigners caused it. Others felt that the fire was started by those not free to follow their own religion. Some even saw the fire as a punishment from God. Potential activities: The class could make a class mural of the Great Fire of London or pupils could do an individual drawing. Create your own artwork based on the fire. You could use this painting by Jan Griffier for inspiration. SINGS) Something’s burning, something’s burning. Fetch the ketchup, fetch the ketchup… BBQ! BBQ! It’s burnt and it’s crispy.