The Monuments stands in Monument street, meters from Monument Tube Station in the City of London.
It was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London and celebrate the rebuilding of the City. The fire began on the 2nd of September 1666 from a Baker's house and lasted for three days. It destroyed most of the City, the only buildings that survived were the one built in stones such as St Paul Cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke provided a design for the column which contains a spiral staircase of 311 steps. This was surmonted by a drum and copper urn from which the flames emerge to symbolise the Great Fire. The Monument is 202 feet high (60.60meters), the exact distance rom the start of the fire.
The view really is fantastic, and it is really cheap to go up (£2). I think it is the best view over London.
