Little remains of London's medieval architecture due to the city's near-complete destruction in The Great Fire of 1666 but a few scattered survivors, as well as other records, provide a vivid picture of the city in this period. In the Middle Ages, London lay predominantly within the boundaries of the city walls originally built by the Romans – the area now known as The City of London – with Westminster being a separate smaller settlement to the west. By the 16th century there was moderate development outside the city walls along river frontage of the Strand, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, Smithfield and on the south bank of the Thames at Southwark, with the famous London Bridge connecting the district to the rest of London. The earliest record of London bridge dates from the 10th century, a structure probably built of wood, but the most famous incarnation of this bridge was constructed between 1176 and 1209. This was a stone bridge 900 ft wide and consisting of 19 arches, complete with its own street of shops, houses, a chapel and a drawbridge in the centre to allow large boat traffic pass through. The River Thames was the most important means of transportation within the city, as well as providing access to overseas trade by sea, with many wharves and quays built along the north bank of the river.