Exam Tips for the Great Fire of London
Part of The Great Fire of London — GCSE History
This exam tips covers Exam Tips for the Great Fire of London within The Great Fire of London for GCSE History. Revise The Great Fire of London in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 9 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 16 of 17 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 16 of 17
Practice
9 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
💡 Exam Tips for the Great Fire of London
🎯 Question Types for This Topic:
- "Describe two features of the Great Fire of London" (4 marks, ~8 minutes) — This is a Paper 2, Section B question (British Depth Study). You need TWO distinct features, each with specific supporting evidence. Write one short paragraph per feature: name the feature, then give evidence that proves it. "The fire spread quickly" is Level 1. "The fire destroyed 13,200 houses and 87 churches over four days (2–5 September 1666), driven by a strong east wind and the timber construction of most London buildings" is Level 2 and scores full marks.
- "Explain why the fire spread so quickly" (8 marks, ~15 minutes) — You need at least two developed reasons with evidence and causal language. Level 3 requires showing how factors connected: not just "the buildings were made of wood" but "the timber-framed, jettied houses meant fire could jump across narrow streets, and because the summer had been exceptionally hot and dry, the wood burned with unusual intensity." Aim for three developed paragraphs.
- "How far do you agree that the slow response was the main reason the fire was so destructive?" (12+4 SPaG marks, ~25 minutes) — This is your major essay question. You need: an argument FOR (Bludworth's delay was critical; firebreaks were eventually effective when finally used); an argument AGAINST/alternative factors (building materials and weather were also essential causes — even a fast response might not have stopped a fire driven by east winds through a city of dry timber); then a clear judgement. The SPaG 4 marks reward accurate spelling of specialist terms (Bludworth, Rebuilding Act, jettied), punctuation, and organised paragraphs.
- Historic environment question (variable marks) — The Great Fire may be the historic environment site for your exam year. Be ready to discuss physical remains (Monument, Wren churches, St Paul's) as evidence and to connect the fire to its broader Restoration context (religious tensions, royal authority, urban modernisation).
📈 How to Move Up Levels — This Topic Specifically:
- Level 1 (1–2 marks): "The fire spread because the houses were made of wood and there was no fire brigade." — This is generic. It names a cause but doesn't explain it. Any student could write this without knowing anything specific about 1666.
- Level 2 (3–4 marks): "The fire spread because the houses were made of timber and had thatched roofs, which burned quickly. There was also a strong wind which blew the fire through the city." — Better: there are two causes with some explanation. But there is no specific evidence (no dates, names, or precise details) and the causes are not connected.
- Level 3 (5–6 marks): "The timber-framed houses with jettied upper storeys provided perfect fuel, and the narrow streets meant flames could jump from building to building. The strong east wind drove the fire westward at speed, making it impossible for the limited parish equipment — leather buckets and water squirts — to have any effect. Mayor Bludworth's refusal to order firebreaks early on Sunday morning meant the fire had four hours of uncontested burning before any effective action was taken." — This shows specific knowledge, explains the mechanism of each cause, and uses causal language throughout.
- Level 4 (7–8 marks): "While the building materials were a significant factor, the slow response was arguably more important. Had Bludworth ordered firebreaks immediately, the fire might have been contained to a few streets — as the Duke of York later demonstrated when firebreaks finally proved effective in halting the fire's western advance on 5 September. However, the building materials and weather were preconditions that made any response difficult: even a quick response would have faced an east wind driving flames through densely packed dry timber. The most convincing explanation therefore links the two: the physical conditions made the fire severe, but human failure made it catastrophic." — This is Level 4 reasoning: it shows HOW factors connect, makes a comparative judgement, and sustains a complex argument throughout.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Saying "thousands of people died." Only six deaths were officially recorded. Examiners know this statistic and will reduce your marks if you claim mass casualties. If you want to acknowledge the real death toll may be higher, write: "Only six deaths were officially recorded, though historians believe the true toll was higher as the poor went uncounted."
- Treating Bludworth as the only cause. He was a critical failure, but blaming the fire purely on Bludworth ignores the underlying causes (building materials, weather) that would have made any response difficult. For a Level 4 answer, you need to weigh factors against each other.
- Confusing Wren's plan with what actually happened. Wren submitted a grand redesign, but it was rejected. London was rebuilt on its existing street pattern, though with new building regulations. Don't write "Wren redesigned London" — he redesigned individual buildings, not the city layout.
- Forgetting the wider Restoration context. The fire did not happen in isolation. It followed the plague of 1665, occurred during the Second Dutch War (1665–67), and the blame placed on Catholics fed directly into the Popish Plot hysteria of 1678. Showing these connections lifts a good answer to an excellent one.
- Not making a judgement in the 12-mark essay. "There were many causes of the fire's spread" is not a judgement — it avoids the question. A real judgement is: "The slow response was the most important factor because even imperfect buildings survive fires if effective action is taken quickly — it was Bludworth's paralysis, not the timber houses alone, that turned a bakery fire into a national catastrophe."
Quick Check: How many houses were destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and how many people were officially recorded as dying?
13,200 houses were destroyed (along with 87 churches and St Paul's Cathedral), and 6 people were officially recorded as dying. The low death toll is surprising but accurate for official records — historians believe the real number was higher, as the deaths of the homeless and very poor were not counted. The fire also made approximately 100,000 people homeless. These statistics demonstrate that the Great Fire was primarily a property disaster rather than a human catastrophe — which is why rebuilding rather than emergency relief dominated the aftermath.
Quick Check: Why was the response to the Great Fire so slow, and what finally stopped it?
The response was slow for two key reasons. First, Lord Mayor Bludworth dismissed early reports on Sunday morning, allegedly saying the fire could be put out easily — he delayed ordering building demolitions to create firebreaks until it was too late. Second, there was no professional fire brigade; each parish had only basic equipment (leather buckets, water squirts, fire hooks) that were completely inadequate against a fire of this scale. The fire was eventually stopped by firebreaks — demolishing buildings ahead of the fire to remove fuel — supervised personally by Charles II and his brother the Duke of York, who took direct control of the response. The wind also dropped on 5 September, which helped. The firebreaks finally halted the fire to the north and west of the City, ending four days of destruction.