The Great Fire of London: myths and realities

Proceedings from a study day held on 6 October 2007

This study day asked ‘How true are the established ‘facts’ about the Great Fire of London?’ Did only six people die in the fire? Did the fire radically change London's architecture? Why did people think the fire was the result of a Catholic conspiracy? Did the fire stop the plague? How have Londoners fought fires since 1666? Leading experts discussed these questions during the day.

The proceedings of the study day are available here to download as PDFs. Click on the title of the session you are interested in to download the PDF. All PDFs open in a new window.

How many people died in the Great Fire? (PDF, 108 KB)
Neil Hanson, author, and Gustav Milne, University College London

Did the fire radically change London's architecture? (PDF, 90 KB)
Stephen Porter, author, and Dr John Schofield, Museum of London

Why was it claimed that the fire was started by a Catholic conspiracy? (PDF, 91 KB)
Dr Colin Haydon, University of Winchester

Did the fire stop the plague? (PDF, 83 KB)
Dr Vanessa Harding, Birkbeck, University of London (standing in for Professor Justin Champion, Royal Holloway, University of London)

How has London coped with fires since 1666? (PDF, 136 KB)
Alex Werner, Museum of London, and Phil Butler, Fire Borough Commander for Enfield