The Tudor's Dynasty Podcast.

I remember as a kid the first time I'd go out on the pond in the winter and test if it was hard enough to ice skate on.

Sometimes it wasn't.

And sometimes I'll admit I'd make my younger brother test it first and watch him fall in and laugh and laugh.

You're listening to the Tudors Dynasty podcast with Rebecca Larson.

Hello and welcome back to the show. I'm your host, Rebecca Larson. Today, I am very pleased to

share with you a bonus episode from last year, which kind of just fits in with the theme of the

season right now. It's all about the Little Ice Age in the Thames Frost Fares.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

All right.

Let's learn a little bit of background first about the Little Ice Age.

So the dates definitely vary.

But I think most agree that it lasted from the 14th century to the 19th century. And that from 1314 to 1317, the cooler temperatures damaged crops

and led to failed harvest, which the consequences would be a great famine.

Not only did the Thames freeze over, but many large rivers throughout Europe did as well, as did the Baltic Sea.

So how did our plucky English folk during Tudor times deal with this?

Well, in the Tudor period, they used the frozen Thames as a thoroughfare from one side of the river to the

other. And records mentioned that Henry VIII and Jane Seymour crossed the Thames while it was frozen.

However, there's speculation as to whether they physically crossed the iced over river

or whether they crossed over the frozen Thames, maybe by way of the London Bridge.

Chronicle Charles Risley even mentions that due to the ice, the royal procession made their way through London by way of riding, as there were no

boats able to use the river at this time. But there is nothing to say specifically that they

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