Page 52 - All About History - Issue 59-17

London’s Lost

Frost Fairs

Discover the carnivals that broke out on the ice when the
River Thames was turned into a winter wonderland

Written by Jack Parsons

ometimes Londoners called it the But be warned — its unique position also puts it cavemen and woolly mammoths, this one affected
‘Blanket Fair’, other times ‘Freezeland outside of any authority’s jurisdiction, so there are the world’s climate from the time of the Black
Street’, ‘City Road’ or, rather grandiosely, no police to break up fights or catch pickpockets. Death until the Industrial Revolution. There are
‘Frostiana’. But from 1309 to 1814, The ice is also prone to suddenly crack, drowning earlier accounts of the Thames freezing, such as
Swhenever the River Thames froze solid, more than one reveller in the depths below. But in 695 and 1092, but these were one-offs. During
an elaborate carnival would break out the ice. this just means the fair-goers to this once-in-a- the Little Ice Age, “the great streams [of England]
So roll up, roll up! Enter London’s lost frost fairs generation event party like there’s no tomorrow. were congealed” much more frequently.
to discover a tent city of hastily assembled shops The Little Ice Age’s causes are debated but are
and pubs, circus performers and a wide variety of BEHOLD, THE LiquiD believed to have been a perfect storm for climate
games. The rival of any royal extravaganza, expect THamEs frOzE O’Er cooling — huge volcanic eruptions at a time when
customers from every strata of society, with more London’s frost fairs were a side effect of the Little the Sun was experiencing unusually low sunspot
than one monarch making an appearance. Ice Age. While you might associate ice ages with activity. This meant that while the Sun was already

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