In history, we have learned all about The Great Fire of London which happened in 1666 but did you know there was also a great fire closer to home?

The Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead started on the 6th of October 1854 on Gateshead quayside and then spread to Newcastle quayside after a factory exploded sending burning debris over the River Tyne!

First, we investigated sources and artefacts from The Discovery Museum to discover what life was like in Victorian Newcastle and thought about how it was different to present day Newcastle.

Then, we heard how the fire started, spread and how it affected the people of Newcastle and Gateshead. We used different artefacts to role play the story to help us remember all of the important information then we wrote a recount.

We love being history detectives and finding out about the past!