BBC Learning EnglishThe Monument
Callum: Hello, I'm Callum Robertson.
London is famous for many of its sights and historicalbuildings. BuckinghamPalace, Big Ben, the Tower of London, to name but a few.
Today I'm visiting one, a monument, which perhaps you maynot have heard of but is also well worth a visit. Amonument is a statue or building that is put up to rememberand honour a person or event and this one is rather tall.
My guide today is James Clare who's the Historic BuildingsArchitect for the City of London and we are at the Monumentto the Great Fire of London. James I wonder if you couldtell us a little bit about this monument.
James: Yes, it's a tall stone column and there are stairsinside that you can climb and view London from the top.
Just above that viewing platform there is a golden ball offire that commemorates the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Callum: You said there that the Great Fire of London was1666, when was theMonument built?
James: It was started in 1671 and finished in 1677.
Callum: Who was responsible for designing it and buildingit?
James: There was a Commission set up jointly between thegovernment, which was the Crown and the City of London andthey had equal representation on thatcommittee. The leader for the Crown was Sir ChristopherWren and the leader for the City was Robert Hooke.
Callum: And Christopher Wren had an important part inanother one of London's most famous buildings, didn't he?
James: Yes, he designed and supervised St. Paul'sCathedral, the new cathedral in the classical form whichreplaced the old Gothic cathedral which had been destroyedin the Great Fire. And you can get a good view of St.
Paul's from the top of the Monument.
Callum: Well I think that's a prompt, I think we should goup into the Monument, go to the top and have a look at St.
Paul's from up there.
(Entering the building)Callum: We've just come into the monument and were at thebottom and if I look up Ican see there's a very tall staircase which we're going toclimb. How tall is this?
James: Well it's over 200 ft tall, that's about 61 metresand there are 311 steps to the viewing steps to the viewingplatform.
Callum: 311 steps! Well we better get going, 1… 2 … 3…James, as we're going up here, how many times have you beenup this monument?
James: Well over the past twenty years I must have been uphere about 50 times and it's exhausting!
Callum: Well, we've just stopped for a little breather aswe've got a tiny window here and from it we are lined updirectly with the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. And Jamesyou don't think that's an accident, do you?
James: No, the building doesn't seem to be aligned on aNorth, South, East, West axis.
It seems to be slightly twisted, almost as if it wasintended it should be possible to view St. Paul's from it.
Callum: So do you think Christopher Wren was maybe justpointing out some of his other work?
James: I think it was jointly Hooke and Wren were keenexperimenters and they were both working on St. Paul's, itwas just them being playful probably.
Callum: Ok, well let's continue our journey up to the top……308, 309, 310, 311. And we finally made it up to the topand what a spectacular view.
Well we're out now on the viewing platform. We're lookingtowards one of London's more famous landmarks which isTower Bridge. Really is a fantastic view from up here.
James, I wonder if you could tell us a little bit moreabout the Monument.
James: Yes, it was at the time probably the tallest free-standing building in Western Europe. Another interestingpiece of trivia is the fact that the height of the buildingis considered to represent the distance from the buildingto the site where the fire started in Pudding Lane.
Callum: So we're at the top of the Monument and I'm goingto find some people to speak to, I've got some people here,hello, what's your name:
(introductions)Callum: We're up over sixty metres, what do you think ofit?
Man: It's a really amazing view, it's really nice, wehave a perfect view over the whole city and I really enjoyit.
Woman: It's really cool, I can't say any more. You must behere and see it, all the cityCallum: Did you find it very tiring coming up the 311steps?
Man: It's the perfect sport and so I don't need to gothe gym later.
Callum: So it's good exercise and a good view at the end?
Man: Yes, of course!
Callum: OK, thank you very much.
Man: Thank you.
Callum: Well some good advice there from some visitors tothe monument, good exercise and it's a good view. James,thank you very much for joining us today and telling us allabout the Monument.
James: It's been a pleasure, thank you.
Callum: Well that's all from this programme 61 metres abovethe streets of London.
Now, time to go back down those 311 stairs! |