Mapped: the Great Fire of London on top of the modern day city
It may have happened more than 400 years ago, but the Great Fire of London 1666 is still one of the worst disasters in London's history.
The fire started at a bakery on Pudding Lane, 202 feet away from the Monument – which was erected to commemorate the disaster five years later, and still stands. It's largely thought that fuel or wood stored at the bakery was set alight by a spark from a nearby oven, then the blaze grew at a spectacular rate as a result of dry summer weather and a powerful easterly wind.
The fire spread rapidly and devastated the city for four whole days, kept alive by densely packed wooden houses, thatched roofs and warehouses that were crammed with flammable materials. At the time, the blaze destroyed a quarter of 17th century London, left 100,000 homeless (miraculously only six deaths were recorded) and turned St Paul's Cathedral to ruins.
To give you an better idea of just how mighty the fire was, a guy called Julian Hoffman Anton has produced a map that puts the Great Fire of London onto the city that we know today.
If the same fire were to spread in 2025, it would, of course, engulf almost all of the City of London, plus most of Holborn and Fleet Street. The Walkie-Talkie would be gone, Bank would be flattened and Cannon Street station would be demolished – that's a lot of finance bros being forced to work from home. The map shows that it would narrowly miss Moorgate, the Gherkin and Somerset House.
Scary stuff, eh? Luckily, shortly after the event it was decided that the capital probably needed a whole team of people who's job it was to stop fires, and the London Fire Brigade was born. So these days, they'll be on the scene.
You can check out Julian Hoffman Anton map in more detail here.
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The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Queen Elizabeth memorial to feature Prince Phillip tribute and translucent bridge
Renowned architect Lord Foster has won the bid to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, a project set to transform St James's Park with a "contemplative" tribute to the nation's longest-reigning monarch. Key features include a statue of the Queen in a new civic space called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, a new Prince Philip Gate on the other side of the park on Birdcage Walk with a statue of Philip. The memorial will also incorporate a "family of gardens", meandering paths, and a translucent, glass unity bridge inspired by the late Queen's wedding tiara. Lord Foster, who was responsible for The Gherkin in London and once criticised the King for using his 'privileged position' to intervene in a development, said it was an honour and a privilege to be awarded the project. He said the bridge was symbolic of the Queen as a 'unifying force'. Lord Foster described his design as a 'very light touch' which aimed to capture both the formal and informal qualities of the late Queen. 'The Queen encompassed, historically, periods of significant change, socially and technologically, but it was all very much with a light touch, and that light touch, the feeling should be that if you visit St James's Park and the site in question later, it will still feel very familiar,' he said. 'It will feel better. It won't be so crowded, although this number of people will be going through it, and the experience will be heightened, but it won't be 'Oh, my god, they've destroyed the tradition of this Park'.' The architect, who was personally appointed to the Order of Merit by the Queen in 1997 in recognition of his service to architecture, said: 'Like many, I knew the Queen through formal occasions, but there was this very special relationship between Her Majesty and those of us who were members of the Order of Merit. 'So we were privileged to see perhaps a more informal aspect of Her Majesty, and in many ways that is mirrored in our design. 'It is in some ways formal in its relationship to The Mall and informal in the gardens, and perhaps breaking down those barriers in terms of narrative storytelling.' He added: 'At the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of Her Majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces.' Speaking about the echoes of the Queen's wedding tiara, Lord Foster said it came from the 'idea of something that could be jewel-like could be very beautifully crafted and with a lot of loving care, so there would be the human touch to it'. The crossing with its cast-glass balustrades will replace the existing blue bridge and has been inspired by the Queen Mary Fringe diamond tiara worn by Princess Elizabeth on her wedding day to the late Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. Featuring 47 bars of diamonds, the tiara's antique metal frame famously snapped when the princess was getting ready on the morning of her wedding, and had to be rushed to jewellers Garrard to be fixed. The priceless headpiece was of great sentimental value to the Queen and she loaned it to her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, for her wedding in 2020. Lord Foster said his plan also depicted a statue of both the Queen and Philip side by side at the Prince Philip Gate: 'We showed them together and, in a way, there was this inseparable quality which we sought to convey.' He also suggested the bridge across the lake would be illuminated at night, and spoke of plans to float the construction, which he described as a 'showcase of British architecture', down the River Thames and put it in place discreetly and seamlessly overnight, without the need for heavy building work. 'The pursuit of lightness and performance enables us overnight to remove an existing bridge and to put back a bridge, to have a very, very gentle presence at night, almost a kind of light lighting experience, and translucent and absolutely flat, hugging the surface of the lake so seamlessly,' he said. 'There's no heavy building work, big excavations, destroying nature. It's a very, very light touch.' The bridge, which may feature braille inscriptions along the handrail, will be gently wider in the middle to create more space for visitors using the crossing, in comparison to the narrow, existing blue bridge. Lord Foster added that the atmosphere of the memorial would be 'gentler, quieter, more contemplative, and an opportunity to rediscover, or perhaps for some to discover, the legacy of Her Majesty'. He insisted his previous 'minor differences' with the King were in the past and 'absolutely insignificant' as part of the bigger picture. In 2009, Lord Foster was one of a number of architects who publicly criticised the then- Prince of Wales over his lobbying and wrote a letter to a newspaper accusing Charles of using his 'privileged position' to 'skew the course' of the planning of the former Chelsea Barracks. The prince, who championed traditional approaches to architecture, had reportedly privately contacted developers Qatari Diar, backed by the Qatari royal family, to recommend more classical plans by architect Quinlan Terry, rather than those by modernist architect Lord Rogers. But Lord Foster said on Monday: 'First of all, this is a memorial to the legacy of Her Majesty and, big picture, the concerns of King Charles and anybody, myself included, who has a concern for the environment, we're all totally aligned. 'And any minor differences in the past about debates or whatever, I mean, that really is the past, and in the big picture is absolutely insignificant.' He added: 'I engaged with Prince Charles on our project for the Royal Academy, many, many years ago, and I've always enjoyed any such exchanges.' Foster + Partners won the competition after being selected by the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee from five shortlisted designs, with feedback taken from a public vote, as well as stakeholders and cultural experts. The proposal for the memorial will be subject to change, with the panel of committee members working with the team on the final design, which is expected to be unveiled in 2026, which would have been the late Queen's 100th birthday year. The next stage will be to appoint a sculptor and decide on the designs of the statues. 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'I think the planting would have been of huge interest to her and the contrast between formal and informal – and the Commonwealth area would have resonated with her'. Lord Janvrin described Lord Foster as an outstanding national figure. 'Throughout the Queen's reign, Lord Foster was a key figure in British architecture,' he said. 'She knew him personally and made him a member of the Order of Merit, which is a personal gift way back in the late 90s. 'So, in a way, I think the fact that he has been this hugely important figure during her reign is deeply appropriate to end up with this extraordinarily important assignment at this stage.' The decision was part of a commercial competition with the winning design made by the committee and the King having no input in the choice, but Buckingham Palace was aware of the shortlisted entries, Lord Janvrin said. 'It wouldn't have surprised me if he'd had a good look at them,' Lord Janvrin said of the King. 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Time Out
17-06-2025
- Time Out
Mapped: the Great Fire of London on top of the modern day city
It may have happened more than 400 years ago, but the Great Fire of London 1666 is still one of the worst disasters in London's history. The fire started at a bakery on Pudding Lane, 202 feet away from the Monument – which was erected to commemorate the disaster five years later, and still stands. It's largely thought that fuel or wood stored at the bakery was set alight by a spark from a nearby oven, then the blaze grew at a spectacular rate as a result of dry summer weather and a powerful easterly wind. The fire spread rapidly and devastated the city for four whole days, kept alive by densely packed wooden houses, thatched roofs and warehouses that were crammed with flammable materials. At the time, the blaze destroyed a quarter of 17th century London, left 100,000 homeless (miraculously only six deaths were recorded) and turned St Paul's Cathedral to ruins. To give you an better idea of just how mighty the fire was, a guy called Julian Hoffman Anton has produced a map that puts the Great Fire of London onto the city that we know today. If the same fire were to spread in 2025, it would, of course, engulf almost all of the City of London, plus most of Holborn and Fleet Street. The Walkie-Talkie would be gone, Bank would be flattened and Cannon Street station would be demolished – that's a lot of finance bros being forced to work from home. The map shows that it would narrowly miss Moorgate, the Gherkin and Somerset House. Scary stuff, eh? Luckily, shortly after the event it was decided that the capital probably needed a whole team of people who's job it was to stop fires, and the London Fire Brigade was born. So these days, they'll be on the scene. You can check out Julian Hoffman Anton map in more detail here.
Metro
03-06-2025
- Metro
First picture of 'loving' teenager who died after motorbike plunged into canal
This is the first picture of a 'lovely caring' teenager who died after his motorcycle plunged into a canal in west London. Thinad Agathangelou's body was spotted in the Grand Union Canal in Southall at 11am on Bank holiday Monday. The 19-year-old mechanic had been out for a ride next to the water when he crashed. Police are investigating and believe the incident happened sometime between 3pm on Sunday 25 May and the time he was found the following day. His mother Anna, 53, told Metro: 'He was a lovely caring son who would do anything for anyone. 'I saw him on the Saturday before he died, he came round for dinner. He was his normal self, very helpful and fun to be around. 'He was working in a garage which specialises in converting camper vans. He loved the job and was looking forward to the future. I am heartbroken.' She said she did not know why her son, who lived in Hendon, was in Southall when he died and said she hoped the police investigation would shed more light on the incident. She added: 'As far as I know he didn't have any friends or know anyone in Southall. I have a lot of questions that I hope the investigation can help answer. We are in the dark really. 'He did love bikes starting with bicycles and then motorbikes. They were his passion. How he ended up on the canal we don't know. 'I spoke to the man who found him floating. Apparently, he was wearing his helmet and because of that he came to the surface. 'He was a very bright boy as well and had lots of friends. On the day he came to my house he offered to go to B&Q for me to get some stuff for the garden. He was a loving, thoughtful son.' Flowers and cards have been left on the towpath next to the point where Tommy hit the water. A framed picture of him celebrating his 17th birthday with a cake had also been placed at the scene. One card from his girlfriend says: 'You have no idea how much I love and miss you. 'You were the most perfect person I ever met. I will miss your contagious laugh … I will cherish the moments we had.' The caretaker for housing estate next to the scene said residents were 'deeply shocked'. He told Metro: 'People are very shocked and upset. We just don't know how this could have happened. It's not as if you can ride fast along the towpath as it's narrow.' More Trending A police appeal has been launched for any camera footage covering the stretch of canal where the crash happened. The Met said: 'Between about 3pm on Sunday May 25 and 11am on Monday 26 a man and motorbike have entered the Grand Union Canal behind Carter Court in Southall. 'Sadly, the man was deceased when he was found. Police are appealing for any Ring Doorbell footage or CCTV from around that time.' Meanwhile the teenager's family and friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to help with funeral costs. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'I'm a reformed drug smuggler – this is how mules will be feeling on flights' MORE: Sainsbury's shoppers still losing millions of Nectar points in widespread scam MORE: The drug behind double death in London that's '500 times more powerful than heroin'
