Londons secret viewpoint
Many people walk past the 'Monument to the Great Fire of London' every day without realising that you can ascend the narrow sandstone column on a spiral staircase within its slender frame. The first shot in the gallery below shows the monument from the outside and it's easy to see why it is missed by many, but if you look closely you will see the string of narrow slit windows that add light to the internal staircase. The monument is most easily found by taking the tube to 'Monument' station (Circle or District Lines) and exiting onto Fish Street Hill, from this exit you will see the monument to your right.
The Great Fire of London began in Pudding Lane on 2nd September 1666 and burned out of control for three days, travelling over a mile to what is now the site of St Bartholomew's Hospital. If you look at the junction of Cock Lane and Giltspur Street on the west side of the hospital you will see a small golden statue called 'The Golden Boy of Pye Corner' which marks the spot where the fire was finally stopped.
The monument itself is a wonderful structure, 62 metres high (202 feet) with a spiral staircase of 311 steps leading to a small viewing platform. For the princely sum of just 5 pounds (2017 price) you can make the ascent, take in the views and receive your certificate for completing the task as you exit. It might initially sound an arduous task but to be honest the construction is excellent, the steps are of uniform height and fall naturally underfoot making a slow continuous plod to the top a simple undertaking.
Once on top there is a nice small viewing platform with widened corners to allow passing. The platform is protected by a mesh cover which I think can add to your images rather than detract from them, though it is possible to place your lens very close to the mesh and shoot through unencumbered.
All in all the ascent of the 'Great Fire Monument' is a neat little trip to brag to your friends about and it really does offer some excellent views of the city. The gallery below has captions but is pretty much self explanatory.
The Great Fire of London began in Pudding Lane on 2nd September 1666 and burned out of control for three days, travelling over a mile to what is now the site of St Bartholomew's Hospital. If you look at the junction of Cock Lane and Giltspur Street on the west side of the hospital you will see a small golden statue called 'The Golden Boy of Pye Corner' which marks the spot where the fire was finally stopped.
The monument itself is a wonderful structure, 62 metres high (202 feet) with a spiral staircase of 311 steps leading to a small viewing platform. For the princely sum of just 5 pounds (2017 price) you can make the ascent, take in the views and receive your certificate for completing the task as you exit. It might initially sound an arduous task but to be honest the construction is excellent, the steps are of uniform height and fall naturally underfoot making a slow continuous plod to the top a simple undertaking.
Once on top there is a nice small viewing platform with widened corners to allow passing. The platform is protected by a mesh cover which I think can add to your images rather than detract from them, though it is possible to place your lens very close to the mesh and shoot through unencumbered.
All in all the ascent of the 'Great Fire Monument' is a neat little trip to brag to your friends about and it really does offer some excellent views of the city. The gallery below has captions but is pretty much self explanatory.