Skating From Hythe To Rye For Lunch...

[Weather-history]

January 1826 was a very cold month with a CET of 0.4

A report from Canterbury on the 17th of that month

"The river Medway is frozen over and the navigation is stopped. The merchants have advanced the price of coals six shillings a chaldron.

The Royal Military Canal being now completely frozen over, numerous parties are daily skating thereon and it is not unusual to take breakfast at Hythe, a luncheon at Rye [about twenty miles glide] and return to Hythe to dinner."

Other reports

"The thermometer at the Royal Exchange [London] yesterday stood at 28F at twelve o'clock [13th

January"

"The river [Thames] is so completely choked up with ice, that the fishing boats, with fish, dare not come higher than Limehouse. Putney Bridge arches are so choked with ice, formed by the ebbing and flowing of the tide to a great height"

Newcastle: "On Sunday morning last a severe frost set in here and has continued since. A considerable quantity of snow has fallen during the week."

Sunderland: " The river Wear has been frozen over for the last 4 days to Hilton Ferry, within 4 miles of the time."

Carlisle: " a smart frost set in here on Monday morning and has continued gradually increasing up to this day in severity. The river Eden more than half frozen over near the bridge."

Chester: " The frost continued during the last week has been intensely severe and the wind is gentle and blowing almost constantly from the eastward. The thermometer on saturday mornign stood at 17F. On Friday last the temperature in Manchester was as low as 16F"

Bridgwater: " Our river is so completely froze over, as to impede the navigation; fortunately there is a good supply of coals in the town."

Temperatures in London

Max, Min

1. 47f, 36f

2. 46f, 28f

3. 46f, 33f

4. 36f, 34f

5. 38f, 33f

6. 40f, 37f

7. 38f, 33f

8. 33f, 25f

9. 33f, 20f

10. 32f, 25f

11. 35f, 18f

12. 32f, 17f

13. 33f, 16f

14. 24f, 10f

15. 29f, 12f

16. 30f, 15f

17. 33f, 22f

18. 46f, 35f

19. 45f, 34f

20. 46f, 39f

21. 44f, 33f

22. 42f, 32f

23. 43f, 33f

24. 39f, 35f

25. 34f, 32f

26. 36f, 24f

27. 36f, 28f

28. 39f, 27f

29. 43f, 28f

30. 44f, 39f

31. 45f, 28f

1st Rainy morning

2-4th Fine

5th Snow and sleet

6-7th Cloudy

8th Very bleak wind with occasional showers of snow and hail

9th fine

10th Overcast, bleak

11th snow

12-13th Fine

14th Foggy

15-17th Very fine, much rime on trees.

18th Fine

19th Cloudy, gentle thaw

2th cloudy

21st cloudy, drizzly

22nd-25th Foggy

26-30th Fine

31st overcast

[blitzen]

The Kent area certainly had its share of wild weather late 19th and early 20th century Mr. Data! Have posted a few snippets of interest.