The Thames is frozen in Maidenhead tonight.

[neilrr]

I just came back from a very cold walk along the Thames from Boulter's Lock towards Cookham. The lock cut just up river from Boulter's Lock is frozen from bank to bank for hundreds of yards.

I've never seen that before.

 

[Howard]

Yep , Teddington Lock is the same .... any lock with a long narrow cut will be freezing at the moment. Most of the water goes over the weir ( upsteam ) so that means that the cuts become very still.

Not much traffic on the river at this time of year , coupled with the lock closures for maintenance means that it doesn't get broken up.

When the temp is below zero for 3 or 4 days the ice forms .... last year we made it to 2 inches thick before it melted.

 

[x332race]

I just came back from a very cold walk along the Thames from Boulter's Lock towards Cookham. The lock cut just up river from Boulter's Lock is frozen from bank to bank for hundreds of yards.

I've never seen that before.

Nothing new...I remember seeing it do that when I was a student in Reading back in 1980

 

[renault12ts]

Pancake ice at Herne Bay in the 60s.

 

[Rory]

Didn't the Thames in the middle of London used to freeze solid in olden (before global warming ) days?

 

[Will]

Didn't the Thames in the middle of London used to freeze solid in olden (before global warming ) days?

Yep, and I do remember reading about how they used to have 'winter markets' on the frozen river. Must have been a proper winter!

Will

 

[ringway]

I can remember as a child on the many trips to my dad's homeland that one night the sea in Ireland was frozen!

Stood on the beach at probably around midnight, in the moonlight and the sea was still. Frozen stiff!

I've asked my mother several times over the years "did I really see that?"

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

Throughout the ages the Thames has been locked in Winter's icy grip on countless occasions. In olden time when its bed was much wider, ice would form at the sides, and as the frost increased, would extend from bank to bank.

In 1063 it is recorded that it was frozen over for fourteen weeks, and again in 1076. In 1434 it was frozen over below London Bridge, as far down as Gravesend, and the frost lasted from November 24th to February 10th.

In 1515 the ice on the river was strong enough to bear carriages, and many passed over between Lambeth and Westminster, but unfortunately it is not said what sort of carriages - coaches did not come into use until a later date.

In 1564 we first hear of all sorts of diversions on the frozen river, the first real Frost Fair, but very little is recorded of it. There can be little doubt that London Bridge, with its narrow arches and huge piers, contributed not a little to the frequent freezing of the river from bank to bank.

Since the new bridge has been built such an occurrence has been less frequent. The floating ice was massed against these piers and heaped up on the starlings, and so formed a barrier, and the intervals between soon got frozen over.

 

[bennesspipers]

In 1964 i walked on the sea at Hunstanton.

 

[Ted]

In 1964 i walked on the sea at Hunstanton.

The true Messiah!!!
Give us a sign!!

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

The true Messiah!!!
Give us a sign!!

he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!

 

[Londonscottish]

he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!

"Listen; you're all individuals"

"Yes, we're all individuals"

"Err....I'm not"

etc

 

[Howard]

Noodle Pulp is right about London Bridge because the piers were so wide and the arches so narrow it used to hold the water back , allowing it to freeze.

There could be a drop of up to 5 feet from one side to the other in a high flow.

When they removed the old bridge the water level at Teddington ( 20 miles upstream ) dropped by 2 1/2 feet and many bargemasters complained because they couldn't passage the lower tideway due to the lower water levels.

Barring another ice age , there will be no more frost fairs on the Thames.

 

[st13phil]

In 1964 i walked on the sea at Hunstanton.

Are you sure it was ice you were walking on?

(Those who know Hunny of old will get my drift )

 

[Brian WH]

Throughout the ages the Thames has been locked in Winter's icy grip on countless occasions. In olden time when its bed was much wider, ice would form at the sides, and as the frost increased, would extend from bank to bank.

In 1063 it is recorded that it was frozen over for fourteen weeks, and again in 1076. In 1434 it was frozen over below London Bridge, as far down as Gravesend, and the frost lasted from November 24th to February 10th.

In 1515 the ice on the river was strong enough to bear carriages, and many passed over between Lambeth and Westminster, but unfortunately it is not said what sort of carriages - coaches did not come into use until a later date.

In 1564 we first hear of all sorts of diversions on the frozen river, the first real Frost Fair, but very little is recorded of it. There can be little doubt that London Bridge, with its narrow arches and huge piers, contributed not a little to the frequent freezing of the river from bank to bank.

Since the new bridge has been built such an occurrence has been less frequent. The floating ice was massed against these piers and heaped up on the starlings, and so formed a barrier, and the intervals between soon got frozen over.

Oh I remember it well.

 

[renault12ts]

In 1964 i walked on the sea at Hunstanton.

Was it frozen?

 

[jaymanek]

I started washing the 500E on sunday night... first the hose pipe was frozen.. thought id use the bucket method... so then as i was washing the car the water was freezing instantly... in the end had to use hot water...
now my driveway is an ice skating rink...

Well at least i slept that night.