The Building of London

What did the medieval and Tudor city of London look like? How did it grow from its Roman and Saxon origins to a European metropolis? This is a detailed account of the evolution of Britain's capital up to the Great Fire of 1666. Although the city was virtually destroyed, a few medieval buildings, such as the Guildhall, remain. More evidence survives in legal documents, maps and plans, and antiquarian drawings. There are also new discoveries of urban archaeology in which the author and his colleagues at the Museum of London have played a major part. This survey takes the reader from London's early days as a Roman provincial capital up to the teeming city, packed with old timber-framed buildings, which was a natural prey to the disastrous fire that struck in 1666. The book concludes with a useful gazetteer and map showing where the surviving fragments of old London discussed in the tesxt can still be seen today. -- Book cover.