Why the Great Fire of London Was Worse Than History Books Say

How did people survive the Great Fire of London? In September 1666, flames tore through London after a fire began at Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane. Over four devastating days, the Great Fire of London destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches and old St Paul's Cathedral. But what happened to the people trapped in the burning city? With no organized fire brigade, Londoners fought the flames using leather buckets, fire hooks, hand squirts and desperate attempts to pull down buildings. Strong winds, narrow streets and timber-framed houses made the disaster spread faster than they could contain it. This history documentary follows the Great Fire of London in 1666 through the diary of Samuel Pepys and other eyewitness accounts. Discover the Lord Mayor's disputed response, London Bridge's water wheels, the Duke of York's efforts, and the decision to use gunpowder to create firebreaks near the Tower of London. Why did Pepys bury his precious Parmesan cheese? How did old St Paul's burn? Why were only six deaths officially recorded when thousands of homes were destroyed? And why was Robert Hubert executed after confessing to a fire that evidence indicates he could not have started? From the first flames on 2 September to the rebuilding of London and the Monument, we explore what historians know, what remains uncertain, and how the disaster changed the city. What would you have saved if you had to flee London in 1666? Tell us in the comments. CHAPTERS 00:00 Four Days, Six Recorded Deaths, One Hanged Man 00:51 Pudding Lane, 2 a.m. 01:53 A City Made of Wood 03:16 The Lord Mayor Goes Back to Bed 04:17 Samuel Pepys Wakes Up 05:41 Pepys Tells the King 06:54 London Bridge and the Water Wheels 08:19 Monday: Carts, Rumours and the Duke of York 10:03 Tuesday: Old St Paul's Burns 11:18 Pepys Buries His Cheese 12:01 Gunpowder and the Tower of London 12:58 Wednesday: The Saddest Sight 14:06 What the Fire Destroyed 15:02 Only Six Recorded Deaths? 16:16 Robert Hubert's Confession 17:44 Who Was to Blame? The Monument 19:05 Rebuilding London 20:25 Pudding Lane Today HISTORICAL SOURCES University of Leicester, Who Discovered the Great Fire? https://pepyshistory.le.ac.uk/who-dis... Samuel Pepys, Diary of 2 September 1666: https://pepysdiary.com/diary/1666/09/02 The National Archives, Extracts from Pepys's Diary: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/e... The National Archives, John Evelyn's Diary: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/e... London Fire Brigade, The Great Fire of London: https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/museum... The Monument, Great Fire FAQs: https://www.themonument.org.uk/great-... London Museum, The Great Fire of London: https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/colle... British Library, Robert Hubert and the Great Fire: https://www.bl.uk/stories/blogs/posts... MOLA, Samuel Pepys and His Cheese: https://www.mola.org.uk/discoveries/n... ABOUT BEFORE THE PLUG Welcome to Before the Plug, your vault of history. Discover history in minutes through educational Shorts and explore the past in each history documentary. From ancient history to medieval and early modern England, we cover forgotten events, everyday survival, historical mysteries and inventions that changed the world. Subscribe for more history, cinematic historical documentaries and research-based stories. PRODUCTION Historical pictures include images of London before and after the Great Fire, old St Paul's, Samuel Pepys, maps of the burned City, and Christopher Wren's rebuilding plan. Verify individual image rights and attribution. Music and sound effects: YouTube Audio Library. Narration: AI voice. Visuals include AI-assisted reconstructions of historical events, not authentic footage. Quoted historical dialogue comes from surviving diaries and accounts. #GreatFireOfLondon #London1666 #HistoryDocumentary #history