Great Fire of London

The Great Fire began in September 1666 and spread rapidly through the crowded wooden city. It destroyed churches, homes, shops, guild halls and public buildings, including old St Paul’s Cathedral. Although deaths were relatively few compared with the plague, the destruction was enormous.

The fire mattered because it forced London to rebuild and rethink its urban fabric. It also generated rumours, anti-Catholic suspicion and political blame. The rebuilt city became a symbol of resilience, but many lives and livelihoods were permanently altered.

Andrew Taylor’s Marwood and Lovett series uses the aftermath of the fire as a central setting, making ruined and rebuilding London part of the plot. The event suits novels about architects, clerks, refugees, criminals, servants, booksellers and people trying to profit from or survive disaster.