Monument to the Great Fire of London

The Monument to the Great Fire of London stands near the north end of London Bridge, completed in 1677 to a design by the architect Christopher Wren working with the scientist and architect Robert Hooke, commemorating the Great Fire of London of 1666, which destroyed much of the medieval city. The Doric column, built of Portland stone, rises to a height of 202 feet, a figure deliberately chosen to match the monument's exact distance from the site on Pudding Lane where the fire is believed to have started in a baker's shop. Its summit is crowned by a gilded copper urn of flames rather than a statue, symbolizing the fire itself, and visitors can climb an internal spiral staircase of 311 steps to a viewing platform near the top overlooking the City of London. Wren and Hooke had originally proposed topping the column with a colossal statue of King Charles II, an idea the king himself reportedly declined, leading to the flaming urn design that was ultimately built.