The Rev Dodgson said:

of the original purpose of the London Monument:

“The Monument in London is best known for commemorating the Great Fire of London.

But few realise it was designed as one of the most ambitious scientific instruments of the seventeenth century.

Completed in 1677, it was designed by Christopher Wren and the brilliant scientist Robert Hooke.

- It is 202 feet (61.5 metres) high, and built exactly 202 feet from the bakery on Pudding Lane where the Great Fire began.

- Its hollow central shaft was designed to house a giant zenith telescope for observing stars passing directly overhead.

- The staircase was intended to function as a vertical laboratory for scientific experiments.

- A 202-foot pendulum could be suspended through the centre of the column to study gravity with remarkable precision.

- It was also designed for experiments into atmospheric pressure and magnetic variation.

Unfortunately, vibrations from the busy streets of London made the precise experiments impossible, and it was never used for its intended purpose.

The Monument still stands as a remarkable testament to scientific ambition.”

There’s a very good description of the fire in Sam Pepys diary.
Pudding Lane, it started in Pudding Lane and the use of pitch to seal roofs didn’t help.
Over.