The Thames Frost Fairs

[knocker]

Quote

Between 1600 and 1814, it was not uncommon for the River Thames to freeze over for up to two months at time. There were two main reasons for this; the first was that Britain (and the entire of the Northern Hemisphere) was locked in what is now known as the ‘Little Ice Age’. The other catalyst was the medieval London Bridge and its piers, and specifically how closely spaced together they were. During winter, pieces of ice would get lodged between the piers and effectively dam up the river, meaning it was easier for it to freeze.

Although these harsh winters often brought with them famine and death, it was the local Londonders – as enterprising and resilient as ever – who decided to make the most of it and set up the Thames Frost Fairs. In fact, between 1607 and 1814 there were a total of seven major fairs, as well as countless smaller ones.

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Thames-Frost-Fairs/

[Relativistic]

"It was not uncommon for the River Thames to freeze over for up to two months at time."

"Between 1607 and 1814 there were a total of seven major fairs..."

Seems slightly contradictory.

[jonboy]

On ‎28‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 17:05, knocker said:

http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Thames-Frost-Fairs/

Even with the same temperatures today the Thames wouldn't freeze totally because the flow is to great. So anyone using that as a barometer of climate will be sadly wrong

[hillbilly]

3 hours ago, jonboy said:

Even with the same temperatures today the Thames wouldn't freeze totally because the flow is to great. So anyone using that as a barometer of climate will be sadly wrong

True to a certain extent but you only have to look at some Cet values to compare modern temps to the times when frost fairs were held.The only subzero month in the last 30 years [December 2010] would not even get into the top 10 coldest Januarys,almost all of those being during the 'mini ice age' .Many months during that period were twice as cold,

 

[Relativistic]

On 30/01/2018 at 22:09, hillbilly said:

True to a certain extent but you only have to look at some Cet values to compare modern temps to the times when frost fairs were held.The only subzero month in the last 30 years [December 2010] would not even get into the top 10 coldest Januarys,almost all of those being during the 'mini ice age' .Many months during that period were twice as cold,

 

As I'm in a pernickity mood, a month twice as cold as December 2010 would have a CET of -136C. The Celcius scale is not absolute.