The Great Frost of 1683–1684 was a

frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a g ...

across

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, reported as the worst in its history. During the Frost, the surface of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

was reported as frozen to the depth of . The Great Frost enabled one of the River Thames frost fairs. Entertainment on the frozen Thames as result of the Great Frost began the career of

Chipperfield's Circus ] Chipperfield's Circus is a British family touring show, continuing a 300-year-old family business. Chipperfield's Circus originates with James Chipperfield with his performing animals at the River Thames frost fairs, Thames Frost Fair of 1 ...

. A Great Frost Fair was also held in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...

, when the

River Aire The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England, in length. The ''Handbook for Leeds and Airedale'' (1890) notes that the distance from Malham to Howden is direct, but the river's meanderings extend that to . Between Malham Tarn and Ai ...

froze solid for a month allowing a fair with an ox-roast and sports to take place, as described by Ralph Thoresby. See also:

Little Ice Age The Little Ice Age (LIA) was a period of regional cooling, particularly pronounced in the North Atlantic region. It was not a true ice age of global extent. The term was introduced into scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939. Ma ...

References

External links

Contemporary reports of the 1683-1684 frost
1683 in England 1684 in England Cold waves in the United Kingdom {{disaster-stub