View of the River Thames during the 1683-1684 frost fair, London Ludgate The Duke of Clarence (later

The Duke of Clarence (later William IV)

Drapers' Almshouses

Also showing the River Thames and water vessels

Belsize Lane

View of the River Thames during the 1683-1684 frost fair, London Ludgate The Duke of Clarence (laterView of the River Thames during the 1683 1684 frost fair, London, 1716. Eating, drinking and entertainment booths can be seen stretching across the ice. Figures travel by horse drawn coach, skates, boats with wheels and boats transformed into sledges. The item has been divided into 45 playing cards with instructions in the margins. Winters in Britain were often particularly cold in the 17th and 18th centuries, a period known as the 'Little Ice Age'.