The Thames is Freezing: 1811
Two Hundred and Two years ago
January 8, 1811
The Chronicle in 1811 Annual Register
“The Thames is now nearly frozen, there being only a narrow channel in the centre of the river free from ice. Two men walked on the ice yesterday from Battersea-bridge to Hungerford stairs.”
From Victoria: However, the Thames did not freeze completely in 1811…it was an infrequent happening. Below, a painting from the Museum of London, showing the frozen river in 1677 by artist Abraham Hondius (1631-1691)
The Frozen Thames, 1677
Below, a painting of the last great Frost Fair of 1814, held on the frozen Thames on February 1-4, 1814. Since then, various bridges and other alterations in the river’s natural flow, combined with unsuitable temperatures, mean that the river never completely freezes.
