Cotswolds Gripped by Snow and Ice. Roads are Blocked and Villages Cut Off

MEMORIES of the ‘big freeze’ winter of 1962-63 sprang to mind this week, when the worst blizzard since then blanketed most of the country in over six inches of snow, causing chaos on the roads and disruption of many services.

In Cirencester the blizzard began at mid-day on Monday, and continued unabated for 24 hours. Difficulties were added to on Wednesday morning following the most severe frost of the winter.

All main roads in the district were blocked or partially blocked at one time or another but other than the road from Birdlip down to the Air Balloon Inn, all were cleared by Wednesday, although articulated lorries were still being banned.

In Cirencester itself, squads of men, additional to regular council workmen, worked with mechanical diggers, tractors and lorries throughout the whole of Tuesday and Wednesday to clear the streets and pavements.

Only fifty per cent of the pupils at Cirencester School (Deer Park) were able to reach the school on Tuesday and 20 per cent of the staff were also absent.

The North Cotswolds suffered some of the worst effects of the blizzard and many of the remoter villages were completely cut off by road with drifts several feet deep blocking the only accesses.

One of the worst hit areas was the village of Salperton where farm tractors had to be used to deliver milk to residents. None of the children left the village to attend schools as the roads were completely blocked by drifts which were nearly eight feet deep in some places.

No newspapers bread or post was delivered to the village but one consolation was the fact that the electricity supplies were unaffected.

Mr J Kilpatrick of the Royal Agricultural College meteorological department said it would remain cold for at least the next 24 hours. He thought a thaw might set in at the week-end.

January 12, 1968