It was the very last “frost fair” to be held on the frozen waters of the River Thames in London. These events had taken place from time to time during the 17th and 18th centuries, during a colder-than-average period known as the Little Ice Age.
By the early 19th century, Britain’s climate was beginning to ameliorate a little. But as a final throwback, the winter of 1813-14 proved to be one of the coldest on record. January 1814 ranked as the third coldest ever: ahead even of 1963, but just behind 1795 and 1684.
As in previous very cold winters, the tidal stretch of the river froze over. January 1814 was also very snowy, while icebergs floated down the river and into the estuary damaging ships. It was also very foggy.
Not that the freezing weather deterred Londoners from enjoying themselves. Once again, they erected temporary gin-palaces on the ice, played games of skittles, danced to music, and even roasted whole oxen over open fires. Someone even walked an elephant across the river by Blackfriars Bridge.
They could not have known, as the climate warmed and the river was cleaned up, that this would the last time they would ever indulge in such hedonistic but no doubt highly enjoyable pastimes.
