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    The Monument

    4.3 (67 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    The Monument Photos

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    John L.

    #MemoriesMonday The Monument (a.k.a. The Monument to the Great Fire of London) was built in the 1600s to commemorate the huge fire that gutted the city of London. It stands over 200 feet tall close to where the fire started. With 300+ steps, we got our glutes worked out that day! Our tickets were part of the Tower Bridge + The Monument combo, saving ourselves 20% in the process. It was not crowded during the time of our visit so we didn't have any issues when we went up and down the tight-spaced spiral staircase. The viewing platform near the top provided a 360°-view of the area. The mesh cage was a bit of a hindrance since I was using a DSLR, but I managed to "shoot through" it. The Tower of London and the Tower Bridge are on the southeast, St. Paul's Cathedral on the northwest, the Shard on the east, and the "Walkie-Talkie" building on the south among all nearby landmarks. We loved the surrounding views along with the exercise so the experience was memorable. Combined with the Tower Bridge entrance, this historical atraction was a steal. We even got a certificate upon completion! Definitely worth the time especially when on this side of London...

    Monument
    David S.

    The first time I saw this I was sort of blown away by the fact that it was actually so tall. Mind you, these days it isn't as if it stands out, or can be seen from a distance, because many of the buildings in Central London are actually larger than this monument. However, it is pretty impressive, and stands there as a memento of the fire that ripped through the city in 1666, pretty much destroying everything. This is basically why you would be hard-pressed to actually find any buildings that date back to before that time. Well, the stone buildings are likely to have survived, but even then they would have been guttered. However, yeah, this is pretty impressive.

    Looking up: This Monument is huge!
    Shayla B.

    One of those landmarks that's not hard to miss. It's one of the first distinguishing sights that you'll see if you're crossing over the London Bridge from the south end to the north. The Monument was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London that swept through the central part of the city in late 1666. The Monument stands at just over 200 feet tall and features a viewing deck at the top. The climb up to the top entails the scaling of 311 steps. I didn't go inside, but I can only imagine that the views are gorgeous up there. It will cost you about £5 to make a trip up to the top. If climbing stairs isn't really your thing or if you don't have the time to do so, you can still enjoy the wondrous views of the Monument from the street. You can actually get up close and personal too. There's actually a little scripture on the base of the Monument that details its' purpose and how it was designed. If you're walking around the north side of the London Bridge, you're almost bound to pass by this historic monument.

    Views from the Monument
    Vivienne C.

    The building was made to commemorate the Great London Fire. Came by in the morning with the London Pass and there was already quite a few people. The steps up were pretty steep and the space was extremely tight. The view was okay, kind of obstructed by the wires so it was difficult to take pictures. Personally, I think the views at St. Paul, a few blocks down are more worth it in my opinion. Would only recommend if you already have the London Pass.

    The Monument to the Great Fire of London.
    Wulfstan C.

    The Monument to the Great Fire of London, also often just called the Monument like the Underground station there, is a tall column topped with a gilded flaming urn. One may go inside and take a spiral staircase up to a viewing platform just below the gilded urn at the top. The platform goes all the way around the Monument nut is fully enclosed with a cage for safety while allowing great views all around. It is inexpensive and you get a certificate memento for doing it. I had to wait a few minutes to go in bt once in you go basically at your own pace. There's not much else but I love places like this.

    It's 200 feet tall, so it doesn't quite fit in the thumbnail image.
    Bruce K.

    A penny a step with 11 thrown in for free. Unlike the twisted version of hell that is Covent Garden's version, there is two-way traffic on this spiral staircase. At least the railing looks stable. Mostly. I wouldn't want to lean on it, so when offered the choice I took the outside lane to pass. There is no rest area and no landing. It's just up and up and up, with the occasional party of kids passing you by. Yes, the kids will look at you and mutter "Pardon me, gramps" and laugh as you stand there, trying to put your heart back into your chest as you make the climb. Even with the workout track cooking along on my iPod, I still had to rest at least once. Jeez, I'm only 43! Once I did manage to make it to the top, the view was incredible. You could see for miles and miles and miles from every direction. Amazingly, only 200 feet up, I felt even more vertigo than when I did the Ledge at the Sears Tower in Chicago. Other than being a great viewing platform, there is actually a purpose to the Monument that should not be forgotten. It is in memory of the great fire of 1666 that burned and nearly destroyed London. The tower is 202 feet tall, meaning that if it were laid on its side and this spot, the thistle at the top of the tower is exactly where the fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane. Do take time to read the plaques which list the terrible destruction of the Fire and the building of the Monument. It's in Latin but translated to English. And it's also available on the website. If you're in this neck of the woods, you absolutely need to stop here and make the climb. It's totally worth it. Even if you had to pay for those extra 11 steps.

    View of the shard from the top of the monument
    Frank L.

    Grab your cappuccino, latte, coffee and espresso because you have 311 steps ahead of you. However, it's worth the exercise once you arrive at the top floor. The view of the city is breathtaking or maybe it's the 311 steps that's actually taking your breath away. You get a 360 view of London. You'll see the Shard, Tower Bridge and many more landmarks up here. The monument is right outside of the Monument train station which makes it very convenient. The ticket price is cheaper when you purchase as a combo with the tower bridge ticket. If you add the round trip it's actually 622 steps up and down the narrow stairway. It would be a disaster if 2 big guys were crossing.

    Mindy H.

    I would highly suggest a visit to the Monument if you are visiting London. It offers phenomenal views for only 4.50 GBP (note: better than the Sky Garden!). Or, if you haven't visited the Tower Bridge Exhibition. I recommend buying a combined ticket for both attractions. The monument was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London and on the site where the first church was destroyed by the fire. The structure was completed in 1677 and designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. Warning: the climb to the top is not for the faint of heart. The staircase is a narrow and winding climb of 311 steps up. You receive a certificate upon completion of your visit stating you survived the experience!

    Another new building going up!
    Had R.

    Completed in 1677 as a monument to the great fire of london this is a cheap fun thing to do if you are capable of climbing all those stairs in a tight(ish) space. There is plenty of space for passing eachother on the stairs, and there are even a lot of small alcoves for 3/4s of the column to sit ot be passed. At the top is enough space to snuggly fit about 20 people and the views are amazing, which you can check out in the pictures uploaded. Well worth the £3, make sure you go pee beforehand! and dont look down the spiral!!!

    Matt G.

    In memory of the Great Fire of 1666. London - a city that rose from ashes. You can climb up the stairs, but it looks extremely claustrophobic.

    You can't beat that view from the top xoxo
    Tannaz T.

    This monument was built after the great fire in London. You might look at the monument from the ground level and be like " nah, Im not climing that huge column" but its not hard at all & so worth it as it less then £5. You can also climb St. Paul but more expensive. 311 stairs to the top with some sick views. Went when the sun was setting and it was spectacular. Winter hours were until 5 only. The stairway is spiral and narrow so dont try to run it fast as you will get dizzy. Its small up there but everyone works around each other and you have views of all 4 directions. Once you come down and exit they even give you a little certificate that you completed the stairs and a history about the monument. Highly recommended & cheap to get views of the whole city. Do it.

    Jamie D.

    Just fun. 311 steps up. Only costs students 2 pounds. You walk up, take your pictures, enjoy the panoramic view. This monument was particularly interesting to me just because it's built to pay respects to the Great Fire of 1666. Like dude, the fire lasted for three days and killed off 3/4ths of the city's property. Bad, ass, fire. I got here late in the afternoon and there was practically no one there. The lady at the door taking money was sweet and friendly. Too bad I was backpacking -- I had to fold up my certificate I got after walking back down. Totally recommended, if nothing more than for the novelty of it.

    Tower Bridge from the top of The Monument
    Yo F.

    It's a shame that people do not visit these historic site more and instead favours the likes of the The Shard. It is a climb to get to the top but there is no rush, take it as easy as you like and have a laugh and giggle as you climb the stairs. The Boy and I love reading about the significance of the Monument and learned a few things after the visit. Would definitely recommend.

    Going back down the long winding staircase

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    The best view in London. Really! For 3 quid you get history and a certificate with your name on it. Teh Win.

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    12 years ago

    Combine a little exercise with great views of Southwhark and east/central London. 4 Euro fee in June 2014.

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    The Monument Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Monument

    Do take time to read the plaques which list the terrible destruction of the Fire and the building of the Monument.

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    Sky Garden - Sky Garden_Yelp_Sanju-2

    Sky Garden

    4.3(350 reviews)
    0.1 miAldgate

    Sky Garden ended up being such a fun experience while we were in London…read more We started at the restaurant on the 27th floor and ordered a bottle of champagne for my friend's birthday. They gave us a really nice birthday discount which was unexpected and appreciated. The service the whole time was fantastic and the views were honestly incredible. After that we went down to the 26th floor and stayed there for a while because the vibe was just really good. Live music, more amazing views, people hanging out and enjoying themselves... it felt very "London night out" in the best way. Touristy? Sure. Worth it? Absolutely. Definitely something I'd recommend making time for if you're visiting London.

    The Sky Garden is an absolute masterclass in how to waste people's time while pretending to run a…read more"reservation system." We had tickets for 12:45. In any remotely competent operation, that means you show up at 12:45 and go inside at 12:45. Not here. Here, your reservation is basically a polite suggestion that no one intends to honor. There is zero clear signage, so instead of simply following directions like a normal human being, you are forced to stand in a line just to ask someone what you are supposed to do. And who is handling this? One single, overwhelmed employee who is somehow responsible for scanning tickets and answering every random walk up question. One person. For a major tourist attraction. It is not just inefficient, it is absurd. After wasting time in that line, you are then sent to another, much longer line. For your "timed entry." So at 12:45, your actual reservation time, you are not entering. You are standing in a slow moving queue wondering why this place even bothers issuing tickets with times on them. Let's call it what it is. If you cannot honor reservation times, do not offer reservations. This system does not manage crowds, it creates them. And here is the part that really pushes it over the edge. We missed another reservation because of this disaster. Not because we were late. Not because we did not plan. But because this place is so poorly organized and so wildly inefficient that it derailed the rest of our day. That is not just annoying, it is completely unacceptable. This is not some small oversight. This is a fundamental failure in basic operations, communication, and respect for visitors' time. It is almost impressive how badly it is handled. By the time you finally get inside, it honestly does not matter how good the view is. The experience has already been ruined by the chaos, the delays, and the sheer incompetence of the system. If you value your time, skip it. Or go in fully expecting your "reservation" to mean nothing and your schedule to take the hit.

    Photos
    Sky Garden
    Sky Garden - Me!

    Me!

    Sky Garden - Upstairs bar

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    Upstairs bar

    Tower of London - Composite armor for man and horse

    Tower of London

    4.5(836 reviews)
    0.4 miAldgate, The City

    We bought tickets a few days in advance and was able to get an 11am entry time. There was no line…read morewhen we got there, but had to snake through before entering. There was a guided tour starting right when we entered, but we did the audio tour on our own. I had also prepaid for a kids's book that we picked up at the gift shop. I wouldn't get it again if I had a redo. We also picked up our audio guides, which were included in the price of admission. This was great as it had a kids program and the guided map let us pick and choose what path we wanted to take. We chose to hit the highlights, which takes 90 minutes and we ended up being there for 2 hours. The line for the crown jewels wan't too bad and was the highlight of the visit. They also had live shows in the common area that the kids loved.

    Beefeaters Tour. That's all…read more The crown jewels are beautiful to see, but my favorite part of the Tower of London was the free Beefeaters Tour. I recommend heading to the Tower of London right when they open because it gets busy, even on weekdays. I was not prepared for the amount of crowds I would encounter. At 9AM, we went straight to the Crown Jewels. No photos are allowed inside. After 10:30AM, there is already a line to enter. We went straight to the first Beefeaters Tour at 10AM. The tour is normally for a group of 50 people, but there was no one taking a headcount when we arrived and our group went over 50 people. The tour was informative and hilarious. I would recommend the Tower of London for the Beefeaters Tour alone.

    Photos
    Tower of London - Medieval Palace

    Medieval Palace

    Tower of London - Guards

    Guards

    Tower of London - Crown Jewels in here

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    Crown Jewels in here

    St. Paul's Cathedral - Beautiful stained glass

    St. Paul's Cathedral

    4.5(342 reviews)
    0.6 miBlackfriars

    We attended Sunday's Choral Mattins at St. Paul's Cathedral. What an amazing Cathedral to visit,…read morebut I think most attendees were tourists (like me). We arrived early and were allowed to sit with the choir up front. What a great honor to sit with a great vantage point of the service. The choir is composed of children and adults, men and women and the voices are extraordinary. The service was beautiful and I couldn't help but think about the people who had attended over the past 300 years. The Cathedral was designed by the great Christopher Wren and is gorgeous inside with massive arched ceilings and ornate marble archways and statues. The choir seats are a dark aged wood with beautiful carving. Photography was not allowed inside so my only photos are of the outside. Tours during no the week are available and going up into the dome is supposed to be an extraordinary experience where whispers can be heard far away. After the service, the bells rang outside in an amazing display.

    After booking reservations online weeks in advance, the hard part was waiting to see Christopher…read moreWren's masterpiece on the inside. Because the building does not open until 10am, the front doors are closed and guests are expected to queue up. Surprisingly, there are no signs to tell you where to queue up, so people are waiting in front of the doors until they open. Upon entering, my bag is inspected and you can pick up an audio tour device which has not only information about the cathedral, but has reflection and prayer passages where you can take a seat (there are plenty) and just be. At intervals, the pastor will ask everyone in the building to be silent as he prays for our world. After the prayer and blessing, the pastor makes himself available to anyone. Taking time to pray to God for us and our world was special. While the audio tour was good, talking to the red-sashed volunteers was special in that they had information that was not in the audio tour. For example, the wood carvers would leave a signature on the carving that would be unique like a hidden rocket ship with stars behind some carved vines. If you're a Harry Potter fan like me, you can ask a red-sashed volunteer to show you the Dean's Staircase, a stairway leading to Professor Trelawny's divination class that was used in the film. Unfortunately, you can't walk up the staircase, but you can take some amazing photos. Walking to the Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery requires climbing up 31 flights of stairs, so train well before you arrive. Not only does the Stone Gallery give you a closer look at the paintings on the Dome, but the wall offers a neat little trick, but it takes two people. If you speak into the wall, another person standing on the opposite side (180°) will be able to hear you. On a non-foggy day (good luck with that), you can walk around outside and be able to have stunning views of the city. There's so much to say, but I would rather you experience it for yourself.

    Photos
    St. Paul's Cathedral - Looking up at the dome

    Looking up at the dome

    St. Paul's Cathedral - St. Paul's Cathedral London_Yelp_Sanju-9

    St. Paul's Cathedral London_Yelp_Sanju-9

    St. Paul's Cathedral - The ceiling is all mosaic tile.

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    The ceiling is all mosaic tile.

    Banksy Graffiti Artist

    Banksy Graffiti Artist

    4.3(6 reviews)
    1.2 miHoxton

    Here Banksy rather humorously juxtaposes the cliché artist, with moustache, beret and palette,…read moreworking on a decidedly less high brow art work depicting a scribble of a huge male member. The artist is also wearing a ball and chain, with a dollar sign on the ball. I'm not sure what conclusion I'd want to draw, but I guess the piece certainly summarises the debates about Banksy himself. Art or just daubs? Pretensions of grandeur? Destroyed by money, or elevated beyond his natural position by the hype? A couple of changes have been made. The council (apparently) have partially obscured the male member, though it's still pretty clear what it's meant to represent. As for the person who's added their opinion that Banksy is a **, I don't think they've given much thought to what they are doing. Their banal addition rather demonstrates they are the one with pretensions of grandeur if they think they can comment! This is on the side of a restaurant on the junction of Shafton Road and Victoria Park Road.

    I've found this piece of art yesterday night (Feb 21st 2012) by accident as I was surfing Hackney…read moreby car in search of graffiti. When I saw it I almost had no doubt it was made by Banksy, and as it took me a good hour to find this first and only painting in Hackney, I interpreted it not only as the sign of the end of free art this would be no news! but also as the end of street art. All in all this classic looking artist is not trying to paint a beauty on a canvas, but a rebel sign on a public wall, while his leg is locked with this ball with the money sign. So when I associate all this with the fact that all Hackney walls are now purified from graffiti, I'm just left with the impression that art was finally killed, both indoor and in the streets. Ciao, Nicola Principato

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    Banksy Graffiti Artist

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    Monument to the Great Fire of London - View of Monument to the Great Fire of London

    Monument to the Great Fire of London

    4.4(5 reviews)
    0.0 miAldgate

    London has changed a lot over the decades and centuries. But one of its quickest transformations…read morehappened in 1666 when a small fire started at a bakery in Pudding Lane near London Bridge. Four days later, it destroyed most of medieval London, including the old St Paul's Cathedral. The destruction was incredible. Over 80% of the City of London burned, St Paul's Cathedral and innumerable businesses and houses were all gone. There were a few silver linings, however. First of all, the rather serious plague outbreak of 1665 was halted. The Great Fire of London began on the night of 1 September 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane. Thomas Faryner, one of the king's bakers, awoke to thick black smoke in the middle of the night. He and his family were able to escape by climbing out of an attic roof and jumping to the neighbors' house; their little maidservant was too frightened to follow and became the fire's first victim. Today it is hard to imagine what London would look like without the Great Fire. In one fell swoop, the medieval city vanished. Streets became wider, and buildings less tightly packed (to help prevent another conflagration). A permanent reminder of the fire was erected soon after the fire was put out called The Monument. It stands today at the site of the first church to be destroyed by the fire and now at the junction of Fish Hill Street and Monument Street. Designed by Christopher Wren, its height of 61 meters marks the exact distance from the start of the fire.

    Tourist sight foe those around St Pau'ls cathedral. Was a cool stop on the way to take some photos…read moreand catch your breath

    Photos
    Monument to the Great Fire of London - Monument to the Great Fire of London_Yelp_Sanju-5

    Monument to the Great Fire of London_Yelp_Sanju-5

    Monument to the Great Fire of London - Monument to the Great Fire of London_Yelp_Sanju-1

    Monument to the Great Fire of London_Yelp_Sanju-1

    Monument to the Great Fire of London

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    The Monument - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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