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History Quiz - Great Fire of London (Questions)

This quiz addresses the requirements of the National Curriculum KS1 History for children aged 5, 6 and 7 in years 1 and 2. Specifically this quiz is aimed at the section dealing with studying events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.

Studying nationally or globally significant events in our history is an important part of the KS1 curriculum. This is often done as part of broader topic work and may involve exploring several different historical sources to build a clear picture of life at the time. The Great Fire of London is one such nationally, if not globally, significant event.

1. In what year did the Great Fire of London happen?
[ ] 1285
[ ] 1666
[ ] 1972
[ ] 1585
2. Where did the fire start?
[ ] In a shoemaker's on Heel Street
[ ] In a hat shop on Headingly Road
[ ] In a baker's shop in Pudding Lane
[ ] In a butcher's on Meaty Avenue
3. Which of the following things did not cause the fire to spread quickly?
[ ] The houses were built very close together
[ ] Houses in those days were mainly made from wood
[ ] There had been a drought in London for 10 months before the fire
[ ] Driving rain made the houses very damp
4. Who famously wrote about the fire in his diaries?
[ ] Benjamin Pipys
[ ] Jasper Payps
[ ] Nathaniel Poyps
[ ] Samuel Pepys
5. How did people try to put the fire out?
[ ] By phoning the fire brigade
[ ] By forming a long line and passing water from the river in leather buckets
[ ] By writing a letter to the king
[ ] By blowing on it very hard
6. Which famous landmark burnt down in the fire?
[ ] St. Peter's Tower
[ ] St. John's Bridge
[ ] St. Ben's Statue
[ ] St. Paul's Cathedral
7. How long did the fire last?
[ ] 4 days
[ ] 4 hours
[ ] 4 weeks
[ ] 4 months
8. How many houses were destroyed by the fire?
[ ] Around 300
[ ] More than 100,000
[ ] Less than 1000
[ ] Over 13,000
9. Which of the following did not happen when the streets were rebuilt?
[ ] The streets were widened
[ ] Most of the houses were built of bricks
[ ] The sewers were improved
[ ] The houses were rebuilt exactly as they had been before
10. How was the Great Fire remembered?
[ ] King Charles II threw a party for everyone
[ ] A special set of stamps was designed by the baker
[ ] Sir Christopher Wren designed a monument
[ ] The fire brigade designed a poster

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - The Great Fire of London

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History Quiz - Great Fire of London (Answers)
1. In what year did the Great Fire of London happen?
[ ] 1285
[x] 1666
[ ] 1972
[ ] 1585
Some people find it helpful to remember this date as a chimney with three curls of smoke: 1666
2. Where did the fire start?
[ ] In a shoemaker's on Heel Street
[ ] In a hat shop on Headingly Road
[x] In a baker's shop in Pudding Lane
[ ] In a butcher's on Meaty Avenue
Sparks from the fire set fire to the shop and the fire quickly spread
3. Which of the following things did not cause the fire to spread quickly?
[ ] The houses were built very close together
[ ] Houses in those days were mainly made from wood
[ ] There had been a drought in London for 10 months before the fire
[x] Driving rain made the houses very damp
Lots of different factors meant the fire was very fierce and spread quickly
4. Who famously wrote about the fire in his diaries?
[ ] Benjamin Pipys
[ ] Jasper Payps
[ ] Nathaniel Poyps
[x] Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys was worried that the fire was becoming too large, and asked King Charles II for help
5. How did people try to put the fire out?
[ ] By phoning the fire brigade
[x] By forming a long line and passing water from the river in leather buckets
[ ] By writing a letter to the king
[ ] By blowing on it very hard
There were no fire hoses in the 1660s – they would have carried water in leather buckets, squirted water through a big syringe (like a squirt gun), and pulled down burning buildings with long metal hooks
6. Which famous landmark burnt down in the fire?
[ ] St. Peter's Tower
[ ] St. John's Bridge
[ ] St. Ben's Statue
[x] St. Paul's Cathedral
Sir Christopher Wren was a famous architect who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral
7. How long did the fire last?
[x] 4 days
[ ] 4 hours
[ ] 4 weeks
[ ] 4 months
The fire started on the 2nd of September and was finally extinguished on the 6th!
8. How many houses were destroyed by the fire?
[ ] Around 300
[ ] More than 100,000
[ ] Less than 1000
[x] Over 13,000
More than 70,000 people were made homeless by the fire and had to camp in tents until their homes were rebuilt
9. Which of the following did not happen when the streets were rebuilt?
[ ] The streets were widened
[ ] Most of the houses were built of bricks
[ ] The sewers were improved
[x] The houses were rebuilt exactly as they had been before
A law was passed prohibiting houses made entirely from wood to be built in the city
10. How was the Great Fire remembered?
[ ] King Charles II threw a party for everyone
[ ] A special set of stamps was designed by the baker
[x] Sir Christopher Wren designed a monument
[ ] The fire brigade designed a poster
The monument is in Central London and can still be seen today