The Fragile Urban World of Samuel Pepys’s London After the Great Fire of 1666

This article uses the diary of Samuel Pepys to examine the impact of the Great Fire on the experience of urban life. It shows how catastrophic events reshaped both the city and its inhabitants’ engagement with it. Using textual analysis, quantitative methods, and mapping through Geographical Information Systems, the article explores two interconnected experiential themes: the immediate traumatic responses evoked by the Fire and the long-term transformation of spatial practices in its aftermath. The article argues that Pepys’s behavioural patterns reveal grief, fear, and heightened vigilance, alongside adaptive mechanisms in navigating hazards, adjusting routines, and relocating social and professional activities. At the same time, it shows how the Fire facilitated his transition towards spaces of elite socialisation in the West End, consolidating practices and networks aligned with his ambitions. By situating the Great Fire within the broader context of Pepys’s life in London, the article demonstrates that the acute urban crisis captured in the diary illuminates movements through the city and the emotional landscape that are difficult to recover from conventional historical sources.