|
|
|
|
CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE
The summer of 1694 had been a warm and dry one in Warwick and June 22nd
1694 was no different. It was also an unusually windy day. This was to
be a disastrous combination of weather conditions for the town of
Warwick on that day. At around 2 p.m. someone was carrying a a kindling
torch near the Friends Meeting House (see above).
|
 |
A spark jumped from the kindling torch onto a thatched roof at the rear
of the Friends Meeting House and the fire had started. The wind was so
strong that sparks were flying everywhere. The fire spread up the High
Street, narrowly missing the Lord Leycester Hospital (see left) and into
Jury Street.
The inferno was so hot that most residents, including those who were
firemen abandoned the town centre. A few houses in Jury Street were
demolished in a vain attempt to create fire breaks but the fire jumped
the poorly made gaps. |
Some inhabitants of Warwick took refuge in St Mary's Church,
some distance away from the fire. Unfortunately though they also
took half burnt possessions with them as well and this started a
quite separate fire in the church. Two thirds of the church
(built in 1395) was totally destroyed with only the Beauchamp
Chapel and the Chancel remaining.
The total cost of restoring St Mary's Church was £25,000, a
massive sum in those days for the inhabitants of Warwick. |
 |
|
|
As the fire died out in various houses, indignity was heaped
on disaster when looters from nearby villages stole whatever had
not been burnt. Eventually the fire reached Archer Mansion in
Jury Street. Unusually for those times, this was a brick built
house with a tiled roof. The fire was unable to progress any
further and slowly died out.
Although no one had been killed by the fire, several were
badly injured. Total cost of the fire was estimated to be
£100,000. In those days insurance was almost unheard of, so the
entire cost was borne by the inhabitants of Warwick. A fire
relief Fund was set up but it did little more than provide food
and water for those affected by the fire. |
|
|
OTHER WARWICK
ATTRACTIONS / INFORMATION BELOW
|
BACK TO
WARWICK HOME PAGE
|
|
