London Before The Great Fire
London´s Situation
In 1666 London was England´s largest city with a population of over 500.000. The overcrowded town was mainly populated by merchants and manufacturers. It was England´s largest market and most important port and it was therefore known as economic powerhouse. The centre encompassed about 2.833 km² and 80.000 inhabitants and was sourrounded by a defensive city wall. Several slums were situated beyond this city wall. The Great Fire in 1666 destroyed four fifths of London´s city including most medieval buildings.
Architecture
Most of London´s former architecture reached back to the Middle Ages. There were still narrow and winding paved alleys. The typical timbered houses, which were up to four stories high, dominated the city´s appearance. These tenements were made of wood and thatch and the lower stories were overhung by the upper ones so that they decreased distance between the different buildings and could block the sun.
Famous Buildings
There were also some famous buildings standing in London before 1666:
The London Guildhall which was built in 1411 is the only secular stone structure which still exists. The interior was completely demolished by the fire but the outer stone framework remained nearly untouched.
The Old St Paul´s Cathedral had one of Europe´s tallest church spires. People already had to rebuild it after a fire in 1087. The fire in 1666 destroyed the wooden roof and much of the stonework.
-The Newgate Prison was completely destroyed as well as the Royal Exchange.
References and Further Reading
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/londonfire.htm
http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Origins-1.htm