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Great Frost of 1683–84

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The frost fair of 1683-1684
Frost Fair of 1683 (1841 image)
Contemporary painting by Abraham Hondius of the Frost Fair of 1683–84

The Great Frost of 1683–1684 was a frost across England, reported as the worst in its history.[1] During the Frost, the surface of the River Thames was reported as frozen to the depth of one foot (30 cm).[2] The Great Frost enabled one of the River Thames frost fairs.[1] Entertainment on the frozen Thames as result of the Great Frost began the career of Chipperfield's Circus.[2] A Great Frost Fair was also held in Leeds, when the River Aire froze solid for a month allowing a fair with an ox-roast and sports to take place, as described by Ralph Thoresby.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Williams, Rob (17 November 2013). "The 10 worst British winters ever - 1. The winter of 1684". The Independent. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b Ian Sansom (15 May 2010). "Great dynasties of the world: The Chipperfields". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  3. ^ Mitchell, W. R. (2000). A History of Leeds. Chichester: Phillimore. p. 52. ISBN 1 86077 130 0.
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