Deep Snow, Shaftesbury, Dorset - February 8th, 2009

Some parts of Dorset had persistent and heavy snow on the afternoon and evening of the 6th, but most avoided here, giving us just a cm or two. Some parts had over 20cm. So, a couple of days later, at the weekend, I decided to head to the higher ground of central/north Dorset to see if any remained on the ground. It turned out there was quite alot in places. First stop was 'Badbury Rings', and old Bronze-Age hill fort dating back several thousand years. Perched on a hilltop, the views were vast:

Looking out over the 'ramparts':

On arrival in Shaftesbury, it was clear that a lot of snow had fallen. There were piles of cleared snow several feet high in places, and several roads were still closed due to ice. It looked picturesque in the sun:

A view out over the countryside:

Best seat in the house:

World-famous Gold Hill, with a not-so-common covering of snow:

These pictures illustrate the amound of snow that fell here. Bear in mind this fell about 36hrs previously:

The steep side roads looked treacherous: