The Monument to the Great Fire

The Monument to the Great Fire of London was jointly the work of Sir Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. They drew up plans for a Doric column containing a cantilevered stone staircase of 311 steps leading to a viewing platform. 

On the top, a drum and copper urn from which flames emerged symbolised the fire.

It stands at 202 feet high and is situated at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Hill Street at the exact distance from the source of the fire in Pudding Lane (to the east of the Monument)

It was built between 1671 and 1667 to celebrate the rebuilding of the City. 

It's first use was by the Royal Society, for science experiments using the column as a zenith telescope. The urn at the top had a hinged lid and there were a number of trap doors in the column which could be opened. Lenses were placed at various heights. However, vibrations caused by traffic meant that they had to be discontinued. 

An inscription on the north panel gives details of the Great Fires damage to houses and buildings. 

Another of the decorative panels (south) 

A short distance away from the base of the Monument on the pavement, there is a memorial plaque to Robert Hooke. 

The monument survived WW II, with only some superficial damage to the base from bomb fragments. The first high explosive bombs to fall on London landed 202 feet to the west in King William Street. 

This unique pillar of Portland stone is the tallest isolated column in the world.