The Day the Thames Froze Over — And London Held a Fair on It
Yes, London once threw full-on festivals… on a frozen river.
It sounds like something from a fantasy novel: a giant river turns to ice, and people throw parties on top of it. But this really happened — in London. Several times, in fact.
From the 17th to the early 19th century, the River Thames froze so solid that Londoners not only walked across it, they danced, drank, skated, and even roasted oxen on it.
Welcome to the bizarre and brilliant world of the Frost Fairs.
Why Did the Thames Freeze?
London winters used to be a lot colder. Between roughly 1300 and 1850, Europe experienced what’s known as the Little Ice Age — a prolonged period of lower global temperatures.
Back then, the Thames was also wider and shallower than it is today, and the old London Bridge (built in the 1100s) had over a dozen narrow arches that slowed the river’s flow. This made it easier for ice to form and stay put.
When conditions were right — a deep freeze with no wind or rain — the Thames turned to solid ice, thick enough to support entire villages of temporary stalls.
What Was a Frost Fair?
Imagine waking up in London to find your main river frozen. Not just icy — but solid enough to hold markets, pubs, ice skating, puppet shows, and even horse races. That was a Frost Fair.
Londoners didn’t waste the opportunity. They built wooden booths and tents on the ice, set up printing presses (so you could buy a souvenir saying “Printed on the Thames!”), and threw wild parties.
You could buy gingerbread, play ninepins, see a dancing bear, or have your name etched into the ice with hot pokers. Yes, really.
The Most Famous Frost Fair: 1683–84
The winter of 1683–84 was one of the coldest in British history. The Thames froze for over two months, and the Frost Fair that followed was the biggest on record.
A royal ox roast was held.
People played football and bowled on the ice.
King Charles II himself reportedly visited the fair.
Vendors charged a premium to walk on their "ice streets".
It wasn’t just a market — it was a moment of Londoners making the most of a frozen miracle.
Newspapers on Ice
One of the quirkiest traditions was printing on the river. Enterprising printers would lug their presses onto the ice and produce tiny newspapers and pamphlets with headlines like “The Thames Frozen Over” and personal poems for visitors.
These prints were sold as keepsakes — and some still survive today in museums.
The End of the Frost Fairs
The last major Frost Fair happened in 1814. After that, changes to the Thames made it much harder to freeze.
The old London Bridge was replaced in 1831 with a modern one that let the water flow faster.
The river was embanked and deepened.
The climate began to warm.
Since then, the Thames hasn’t frozen solid — not like that.
Were They Safe?
Not always. While most fairs were festive and fun, the ice sometimes cracked, especially near bridges or the banks. People (and animals) occasionally fell through. But for the most part, the Frost Fairs were remembered fondly as magical, if slightly chaotic, winter events.
Final Thoughts
The idea of Londoners roasting meat, printing newspapers, and sipping gin on top of the River Thames sounds unreal — but it’s true. The Frost Fairs remain one of the most uniquely London chapters in the city’s long, eccentric history.
They were equal parts resilience and celebration — proof that when the world throws something unexpected at Londoners, we build a pub on it.
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