London-st pauls and great fire of london

[PaperLantern]

Plan so far- museum of london,monument and st pauls

Would like to show dd what london was like before the fire, I knoe there's a few older streets left but can't remember where, can anyone help?

And is it worth the exorbitant cost to go in st pauls?

Unhelpfully I cannot remember the name of it but there is an extremely narrow alley somewhere on the walk between Monument and the Museum of London where the gables of the tudor buildings on each side almost touch each other above your head. Will try and find it for you.

I think that alley was on the route of the Olympic marathon if that narrows it down .

Very, very little survived the Great Fire that stands today. Mainly scattered around the City. I don't know of any streets with half timbered houses nearly touching each other. Prince Henry's Rooms is a half timbered building on Fleet St at the entrance to Middle Temple and it is pre1666. Its owned by the Corporation of London, but I believe it's closed to the public at the moment, although you can stand outside.

Oh please that would be perfect! I remember walking an alley in university days but can't remember where (could have been anywhere between mile end and tje city tbh, also unhelpful!)

But if didn't have tudor gables ohh that would be perfect.....

(no pressure }

There was some sort of exhibit of the Fire of London at the museum of London - possibly including a reconstruction. But I haven't been there for decades so it may have gone.

The museum of London has a great fire walk route, with downloadable videos to be played at various points on the walk. I downloaded them on my Phone and brought them up for DD to have a look at as we wandered around the city.

www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Explore-online/podcasts-audios/fireoflondonaudiotour.htm

Think about staying at St Pauls YHA overnight and turning it into a real experience. The Youth hostel used to be the boarding house for the choristers at St Pauls and it is dead cheap and nice for frugal families. We woke up to the sounds of St Paul bells.

www.yha.org.uk/hostel/london-st-pauls

I was reluctant to spend the money to go into St Pauls, but it was terrific value. The interactive guides are really informative, the climb into the very top of the roof was superb, there was so much to see and do we (me and DD aged 7) were there for over 3 hours. So much of the history of London is intertwined with the cathedral, it makes sense to include it on a fact finding trip.

Would second the idea of staying at St Paul's Youth Hostel. I stayed there years ago, taking a school trip. It's great. St Paul's is interesting and probably worth the money unless you're on a v tight budget.

Most of the best information on the Great Fire is at The Museum of London.

Another quick thing to see is the Golden Boy Of Pye Corner in Smithfield. It's a little statue of a boy marking the finishing point if the fire. So the fire started in Pudding Lane and finished at Pye Corner.

Bow Lane is a lovely little street between Cheapside and Cannon st. Next to the church with the crypt.

st Clemence church is also near Monument if they know the nursery rhyme and Pudding Lane.

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately I can't extend the stay overnight as much as I'd love to and I will remember the YHA recommendations for another time. St Pau's tickets are now booked.

Thanks for the link to the audio guide, I've watched a load of it, I don't think we'll have time to follow it all as we are very limited by the train times, but definitely monument and pudding lane. Not sure we'll make it up as far as fleet street but I'll bear it in mind.

Bow lane seems the best bet at the moment (is that the lane with the nice sandwich shop in I used to visit) or Maybe St Micheal's alley.... Although if anyone does remember the name of the tudor alley, please please keep me posted as this would fit in perfectly with what DD has done at school

Thank you everyone

You can go to the street where Pepys lived at the time of the fire, it's somewhere near Fenchurch Street.
There is a garden there now and a plaque.

My DS was surprised at how close it was to Pudding Lane when we did our Fire of London trip out.

Hi - Museum of London very good generally and has good little exhibition/ display with model of old London showing how the fire spread (one of our favourite bits)

My DC's also enjoyed visiting St Paul's, especially climbing up to the impressive "whispering gallery" and on up to the very top !

Hope you have a great day

(That hostel sounds good for another time)

My DD is addicted to the museum and especially the Fire of London part. It is very good. The City is a bit of a disappointment, I work there and there is really not a lot left. I think there is one house near Holborn which is originally pre-fire but I can't be 100%.

What the fire survived was demolished by the WWII bombs.

St. Paul has a model of the old church in the crypt.

Going for a tour or to a play at The Globe Theatre might give as good an idea of London pre Fire as anything ? I want to go to that soon with the DC's, especially as DD is beginning to enjoy Shakespeare - reading "Much Ado" at school (y9)

The Globe theatre is a great idea and if she enjoyed the Merlin series she might like to watch The Tempest as Colin Morgan is in it.

I can't second the St Pauls Youth Hostel. We stayed 6years ago and it was fine but stayed last year and we all got badly bitten overnight. In the morning I checked under the mattresses and really wished I hadn't. The security was also awful and DS got treated to a biology lesson he didn't need from a couple openly having sex in the corridor.

Enough to make me cancel the YHA membership that place (shudder)

Also its free to visit St Pauls if you are attending a service.

The Museum has a corner of London Wall with an explanation of what you are seeing and which part is which, that goes back to either Roman or Anglo Saxon - I appreciate there is a big difference by the way

There is a good exhibition on the Great Fire as well, with a video piece if irc.

If you are National Trust members or can afford it, Sutton House is a fantastically preserved Tudor House in Hackney. It was built and owned by Ralph Sadler who is a key character in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Bringng up the Bodies.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house/