A blazing 17th Century spectacle on the River Thames helped mark a earth-shattering event in our capital’s history.

London 1666 – a floating wooden model of the city created by
artist David Best – was set alight on two barges near Blackfriars Bridge, to remember the Great Fire of London 350 years ago.

Watched by a crowd of more
than 50,000 people, the fiery piece of art would not have been possible without our help.

PLA staff worked hard to put moorings in place for the pair of connected 50 metre-long barges, making London 1666 possible.
We also closed the river for an
hour to let the ‘burning’ take
place. And we had two harbour launches on hand to manage
river traffic in the area.

Nick Evans, deputy harbour
master (upper), said: “It was a very busy day for us and one to remember. The fire looked spectacular and there were so

many people watching on both banks, as well as on Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges.

“We had a very important role to play in installing and, later, removing moorings for the model.

It was an unforgettable day.”
This remarkable event, which
was organized by large-scale
art specialists Artichoke, was part of the city-wide Great
Fire 350. It’s one of many art ‘happenings’ taking place in
London this month.