We learn how The Fire spread across the city and how the Lord Mayor, Samuel Pepys and King Charles II were all involved alongside the people of London.
2. What happened during The Great Fire of London?
Pupils are introduced to Samuel Pepys, who wrote about The Fire in his famous diary and also reported on it to King Charles II.
The king commanded Pepys to go to the Lord Mayor and order him to pull down the buildings in an effort to halt the fire.
Many people left London, taking their possessions with them. Others buried items to keep them safe, including Pepys who buried his cheese and wine in his garden.
Further resources
Download / print the notes including activities templates and worksheets (pdf)
Be the news reporter – interview a character and find out what happened! (pdf)
Design your own dream city on this London map (pdf)
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A gallery of images showing artefacts and paintings connected to The Great Fire of London
Teachers’ notes
Before the video
Show pupils some cheese, wine, gold and a diary and ask what they think these might have to do with the next part of the story.
Ask them to make a prediction.
During the video
Who was Samuel Pepys? (A politician and administrator of the navy.)
Why is he significant? (He kept a diary which describes in detail two important events - The Plague of 1665 and The Great Fire of London.)
Who was Charles II? (The monarch at the time. He is known as the ‘Merry Monarch’ because he enjoyed a busy social life, especially going to the theatre. He ruled from 1660 - 1685.)
What did people do during the fire? How did they respond? (Some stayed in London and helped to put it out. Some took their possessions and escaped.)
What did Samuel Pepys bury? (Cheese and wine.)
Why did he do this? (They were expensive items and valuable to him.)
After the video
Write an extract from Samuel Pepys’ diary and explain your worries about The Fire.
Look at an image of The Fire - list the reasons you can see that show why The Fire spread so quickly.
Write a letter to the Lord Mayor to plead with him to use fire-hooks to tear down buildings, thus creating firebreaks .
Class debate - Who was to blame for The Fire? Look at different roles and what people did during The Fire. Is there somebody to blame? Children share ideas based on evidence.
This film is relevant for teaching History at KS1 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 1st Level in Scotland.
Songs
Consolidate pupils' learning about The Great Fire of London with these three catchy songs from our Music pages.
1. Here in Pudding Lane
Life in the busy streets of London before The Great Fire.
2. Fire, fire, everywhere!
A fast tempo song as The Great Fire rages through London.
3. Let’s get building!
A song about rebuilding London following The Great Fire.
Additional songs about The Great Fire of London - including 'London's burning!' sung as a round.
More from this series
1. Why did The Great Fire of London happen?
We go back in time to find out the causes of The Fire, meet key individuals involved and witness how Londoners responded to The Fire.
3. What happened after The Great Fire of London?
We discover what happened to the city after The Fire, the role of Christopher Wren in rebuilding the city and how we remember The Fire today.
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View the main characters in The Great Fire of London
See also...
The Gunpowder Plot. collection
Three short animations exploring The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 - why it happened, the main events of the Plot, and the consequences for Guy Fawkes and the other plotters.
The Great Fire of London: Music, Dance and Drama activities (audio) audio
The audio programmes in this series explore The Great Fire of London and its aftermath through Music, Dance and Drama activities.
Castles and Knights. collection
A series of six animations exploring the topic 'Castles and Knights' with additional photos, illustrations and worksheets.
