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Guy Fawkes plot 'was devastating'
By Julianna Kettlewell
BBC News Online

Guy Fawkes could have changed the face of London if his 1605 plot had not been foiled, explosion experts have said.

His 2,500 kg of gunpowder could have caused chaos and devastation over a 490-metre radius, they have calculated.

Fawkes' planned blast was powerful enough to destroy Westminster Hall and the Abbey, with streets as far as Whitehall suffering damage, they say.

Another expert has said Guy Fawkes used 25 times the amount of explosive he really needed to destroy Parliament.

This begs the question: just how big a bang did Guy Fawkes intend to make?

Bonfire figure

Early in the morning of 5 November 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered in a cellar under the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder and a 'slowmatch' to ignite the explosive....