The Golden Boy at Pye Corner

where the great fire stopped

A small gilded statue of a plump boy marking the spot where the Great Fire of London finally burned itself out.

Free to visit · Smithfield · Barbican · EC1A 9DS

Opening: Viewable any time

High on a corner at Smithfield sits a small gilded statue of a chubby boy, easy to miss but rich with meaning. It marks Pye Corner, the spot where the Great Fire of London finally stopped in 1666 after destroying much of the city. Because the fire had started in Pudding Lane and ended at Pye Corner, some moralising Londoners blamed the disaster on the sin of gluttony, and the well-fed Golden Boy was put up as a warning.

An inscription beneath spells out the gluttonous moral. It is free to find, a quirky and very London piece of seventeenth-century finger-wagging perched above the street.

Getting there: On the corner of Giltspur Street and Cock Lane at Smithfield, near Barbican station.

Best time to go: Any time, on a walk through Smithfield.

Insider tip: Look up to the first-floor corner to spot the small gilded figure, easy to walk under without noticing. Read the inscription below for the wonderfully judgemental explanation linking the fire to gluttony.

Free things to do in London · London Free Guide