River Thames Frost Fairs

13 January is St Hilary’s Day has gained the reputation of being the coldest day of the year due to past cold events starting on or around this date.

Can you imagine the River Thames freezing over so much that a fun fair could be held on the ice? Well that did happen about four hundred years ago. The worst cold spells in Britain occurred between 1550 and 1750. The climate during this time was known as the Little Ice Age, when winters were so cold that the Thames froze over each year.

Henry VIII is said to have traveled all the way from central London to Greenwich by sleigh along the river during the winter of 1536 and Elizabeth I took walks on the ice during the winter of 1564.

Find out more on our Facts about January page
http://projectbritain.com/year/january.htm