This Dutch print depicts the medieval church that was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. Work began on the structure in the late 11th century. It was finished in 1240 but enlargement work began less than 20 years later and lasted until 1314. The cathedral was finally consecrated in 1300 - more than 200 years after it was started. The body of the building was made of stone. The roof, however, was mainly wooden, because stone would have been too heavy to support. This was to have unfortunate consequences for St Paul’s when the Great Fire broke out.