The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that devastated the English capital from 2 to 6 September 1666. The fire destroyed much of the medieval city, including 13,200 houses, 87 churches, the Guildhall, Royal Exchange, St Paul's Cathedral and over 30 halls of City Livery Companies. It led to extensive rebuilding during which classical architecture influenced modern London's layout, streets and many notable buildings which now characterise it
The fire started just after midnight on Sunday in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane near to London Bridge. Strong winds spread it westward quickly. Although London experienced fires on this scale on multiple occasions previously, most recently and extensively about fifty years earlier during the Great Fire of 1633, such devastation made 1666 especially infamous.