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LONODN-It may seem a far-fetched idea nowadays even when it feels bitterly cold outside, but the River Thames has frozen over at least 23 times since the 1300s.
The last occurrence was two centuries ago in 1814, but in the past a number of festivals known as the River Thames Frost Fairs sprang up on the river. The period from the mid-14th century to the 19th century in Europe was referred to as the ‘Little Ice Age’ due to the severity of the climate at the time.
Paintings and memorabilia owned by the Museum of London show that when the conditions were right, Londoners headed onto the river in celebration.
The first recorded frost fair did not take place until 1608, although the Thames had frozen over several times in the 16th century.  It is said that Henry VIII travelled all the way from Central London to Greenwich by sleigh along the river during the winter of 1536.
Elizabeth I is also thought to have taken walks on the ice during the winter of 1564. Centuries later, the last frost fair was held on the Thames in 1814. It took place from February 1 to 5, and the ice was so thick at the time that an elephant crossing was held at Blackfriars. Meriel Jeater, the museum’s curator of archaeological collections, told MailOnline: ‘The Thames is first recorded as freezing over in the 12th century.
‘The first time people took to the frozen river for organised entertainments was 1309, where a hare was hunted with dogs (and) a fire was built on the ice.