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 that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. The process is simila ...

across

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, 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, s ...

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. A Great Frost Fair was also held in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

, when the

River Aire The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England, in length. Part of the river below Leeds is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation. The ''Handbook for Leeds and Airedale'' (1890) notes that the distance from Malha ...

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

References

External links

Contemporary reports of the 1683-1684 frost
1683 in England 1684 in England 1683 meteorology 1680s natural disasters 1683 disasters 17th-century cold waves 1684 meteorology 1684 disasters Cold waves in the United Kingdom {{Natural-disaster-stub