Question 1

True or false: London was rebuilt with wide stone streets and brick buildings after the fire.

Accepted Answer

True. New building regulations banned wooden exteriors and thatched roofs, leading to the iconic brick and stone London we know.

Question 2

True or false: The Great Fire of London happened in the summer of 1666, lasting for five days.

Accepted Answer

False. It actually lasted four days, from September 2 to September 5, 1666. The five-day myth is common but incorrect.

Question 3

True or false: The Great Fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane and ended at Pie Corner.

Accepted Answer

True. The fire began at Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane and famously stopped near Pie Corner, a coincidence Londoners saw as divine judgment.

Question 4

True or false: King Charles II personally helped fight the fire alongside ordinary citizens.

Accepted Answer

True. Charles II and his brother James, Duke of York, joined bucket brigades and ordered buildings demolished to create firebreaks.

Question 5

True or false: The fire destroyed over 13,000 houses but spared most of London's churches.

Accepted Answer

False. Actually, 87 parish churches were destroyed, including St. Paul's Cathedral. Only a handful survived.

Question 6

True or false: Samuel Pepys buried his wine and Parmesan cheese to save them from the flames.

Accepted Answer

False. Pepys famously buried his wine, but not cheese. He did bury his valuables, including a parmesan cheese, in his garden.

Question 7

True or false: Only six confirmed deaths were recorded from the Great Fire of London.

Accepted Answer

True. Official records list just six deaths, but historians believe many more perished, especially the poor and undocumented.

Question 8

True or false: The fire was started deliberately by a French spy named Robert Hubert.

Accepted Answer

False. Robert Hubert, a French watchmaker, confessed and was hanged, but evidence later showed he was innocent and likely mentally ill.

Great Fire of London Trivia Questions