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Restoration England 1660-1685Deep Dive

Why Did It Spread So Far?

Part of The Great Fire of London — GCSE History

This deep dive covers Why Did It Spread So Far? 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 3 of 17 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 3 of 17

Practice

9 questions

Recall

4 flashcards

🧠 Why Did It Spread So Far?

Building materials: Wooden houses, thatched roofs (despite regulations against), pitch and tar stored. Perfect fuel.
Building layout: Narrow streets, overhanging storeys (jetties), houses almost touching. Fire could jump gaps.
Weather: Hot, dry summer. Strong east wind blew flames westward through the city.
Slow response: Lord Mayor (Bludworth) dismissed early reports. Delayed ordering buildings demolished to create firebreaks.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in The Great Fire of London. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Setting the SceneKey StatisticsThe Great Fire of London 1666Response During the Fire

Practice 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

Quick Recall 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.

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Setting the Scene

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Key Statistics