Thames River (England)
TLDR: Winding through London, the Thames has been a silent witness to everything from Roman invasions to royal coronations. In the 1600s, it froze over so solidly during the “Little Ice Age” that Londoners held Frost Fairs on its surface, complete with vendors, horse races, and even a printing press set up on the ice.
Frozen in Time: The Curious History of the Thames River
Winding through the heart of London, the River Thames is far more than just a body of water—it’s a witness to centuries of triumphs, tragedies, and transformations. Flowing for over 200 miles, the Thames has carried Roman ships, Viking invaders, royal barges, merchant goods, sewage, and now, the lifeblood of one of the world’s greatest cities.
But beyond its steady flow through history lies one of the most fascinating and lesser-known episodes in the river’s past: the Frost Fairs of the 1600s.
During a climatic period known as the Little Ice Age, Europe experienced unusually cold winters, and the Thames, which was broader and slower before modern embankments and bridges, froze solid on multiple occasions. Between 1607 and 1814, the river froze deeply enough that Londoners didn’t just walk across it—they partied on it.
Known as Frost Fairs, these icy festivals transformed the river into a surreal, floating carnival. Entire streets of makeshift stalls sprang up overnight on the ice, with vendors selling mulled wine, roasted meats, and baked goods. Children skated, jugglers performed, and horse-drawn carriages clattered across the ice as if it were cobblestone.
Perhaps the most extraordinary feature of these fairs was the pop-up printing presses, where printers would churn out commemorative flyers, poems, and even mock newspapers declaring “Printed on the Ice of the Thames.” One surviving print from the 1684 fair reads, “Behold the liquid Thames now frozen o’er / That lately ships of mighty burden bore.”
These frosty celebrations weren’t without risk, though. As the weather warmed, the ice could break apart without warning. There are grim records of stalls collapsing into the icy waters, and unfortunate partygoers who didn’t make it out.
The last of these great Frost Fairs took place in 1814. Just a few years later, the climate warmed, and new engineering projects—like the construction of the new London Bridge with fewer piers—allowed the river to flow faster, making future freezings nearly impossible.
Today, the Thames remains a dynamic and ever-present force in the life of London. It no longer hosts winter festivals on ice, but its banks continue to be a gathering place for celebration and commerce, culture and community. Beneath its murky surface lie centuries of stories, and while you may not see it freeze over again, the river’s history is still very much alive.