monument ruins – Snapping The Globe

Certainly, there is no shortage of things to do in the City of London…London Bridge, Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace…but one has to remember that there are little treasures tucked away throughout the city.

While I eagerly seek out these unique places of interest ahead of time, sometimes they just happen to fall in my lap. Recently, I discovered two such treasures while exploring in London. Emerging from the Monument tube station, I observed a large tower adjacent to the metro station. Though not what I was searching for, I thought it quite intriguing and stopped to check it out.

Located near the northern end of London Bridge, the Monument to the Great Fire of London, the fluted Doric column built of Portland stone, commemorates the Great Fire of London which started on September 2, 1666. Built between 1671 and 1677, it was here that the first church to be burnt down during the Great Fire, St. Margaret’s, was located. This historic monument was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke and its height marks the distance from the site of the shop of the king’s baker, where the Great Fire began.

On three sides of the base of the monument, there are inscriptions in Latin. The south side describes actions taken by King Charles the II following the fire, the east describes the beginnings of the monument and the north side describes the damage the fire inflicted and how the fire was extinguished. These inscriptions can be thoroughly inspected while walking through the pedestrianized area around the base of the monument.

If you have time (which I did not on this day), a viewing platform is located at the top of the monument and can be accessed by 311 steps on a narrow winding staircase. The summit of the monument is marked by a flaming gilt-bronze urn which sports a 360-degree panoramic camera which is updated every minute and runs 24 hours a day, providing a record of weather, building and ground activity in the city.

Leaving the monument, I walked along the busy streets of the area to the destination I was originally in the area to find…St. Dunstan-in-the-East.

Originally built in 1100, the church was severely damaged during the Great Fire. Instead of rebuilding the church, the decision was made to repair it from 1668 to 1671, adding a steeple, designed by Christopher Wren, a few years later in 1695.

Though some reconstruction was done during the 1800s, the tower was left intact. During the bombing of World War II, the tower and steeple endured the bombs’ impacts, but in the end, only the church’s north and south walls remained. Sadly, St. Dunstan’s was not rebuilt, however, the City of London Corporation stepped in and the decision was made, not to tear down the historic structure, but to turn it into a public garden, opened in 1971.

As I walked through the beautiful grounds amidst the crumbling walls covered in creeping vines, I marveled that the remains of this ancient structure still stand among the modern skyscrapers that surround it. Many people relaxed on the benches, surrounded by a thoughtfully planted lawn and gardens and enjoyed their lunches. Despite the sounds of the busy streets nearby, it seemed to be a place of calm and obviously beauty.

While the tower now houses the All Hallows House Foundation, the parish is combined with the Benefice of All Hallows by the Tower. If you are lucky enough to be in London on certain holidays, such as Palm Sunday, open-air services are held in the church followed by a procession to the All Hallows by the Tower along St Dunstan’s Hill and Great Tower Street.

There are many restaurants in this area, especially by the Monument to the Great Fire. Work up an appetite by climbing to the top of the monument, then grab some lunch to go and head on over to St. Dunstan-in-the-East. Surely one of the most peaceful settings you can find in London for a mealtime!

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Monument to The Great Fire of London

http://www.themonument.org.uk/plan/
Address:
Hours: April thru September, 0930-1730, October thru March, 0930-1700, Closed December 24-26.
Admission: Adults, £5.00, Children 5-15 years, £2.50, Children under 5 years, free, Adult Concession, £3.50, Children concession 5-15 years, £1.70, Companion, free. Joint tickets with Tower Bridge may also be purchased. Adults, £12.00, Children 5-15 years, £5.50, Children under 5 years, free, Adult Concession, £8.20, Children concession 5-15 years, £3.60, Companion, free.
Getting There: Tube stop, Monument.