Restoration England 1660-1685High Exam FrequencyAQA

The Great Fire of London

Revise The Great Fire of London in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 11 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency exam topic, so students should expect to explain it clearly under timed conditions.

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The Great Fire of London 1666

Diagram 2

Setting the Scene

Introduction 3

Why Did It Spread So Far?

Deep Dive 4

Key Statistics

Key Facts 5

Response During the Fire

Key Facts 6

Aftermath & Rebuilding

Deep Dive 7

The Human Cost — What Happened to Ordinary Londoners?

Deep Dive 8

Exam Technique: Historic Environment

Exam Focus 9

Why Was the Fire So Devastating? — Connected Causation

Causation 10

⭐ Why Does This Matter?

Significance 11

What Do Historians Think?

Interpretations 12

Interpretation Analysis Practice

Source Analysis 13

Key Terms You Must Know

Definitions 14

Common Misconceptions

Misconceptions 15

Memory Aids: Lock In the Key Facts

Memory Aid 16

Exam Tips for the Great Fire of London

Exam Tips 17

Knowledge Organiser: The Great Fire of London, 1666

Summary

Sample Flashcards

Where did the Great Fire start?

Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane, in the early hours of Sunday 2 September 1666. An unextinguished oven overnight started the blaze that spread rapidly through dry wooden buildings.

How many houses were destroyed?

13,200 houses and 87 churches, including the medieval St Paul's Cathedral. The fire burned for four days, destroying about one-third of the City of London. Remarkably, only 6-8 deaths were officially recorded.

Exam questions for The Great Fire of London

Where did the Great Fire of London begin on 2 September 1666?

A. A candle factory on Cheapside
B. Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane
C. The Royal Exchange on Cornhill
D. A timber yard near the River Thames

1 markfoundation

Which of the following best explains why Lord Mayor Bludworth's response to the Great Fire made the situation worse?

A. He ordered too many buildings demolished, creating gaps the fire jumped across
B. He fled London, leaving no authority in charge during the crisis
C. He dismissed the fire as minor and delayed ordering demolitions to create firebreaks
D. He ordered the docks sealed, preventing water supplies from the Thames

1 markfoundation

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