Snow Storms of the Past

The Township of Dore

Dore is not only the central village area as we see it today. The Township on its western border extends beyond Fox House, with Burbage Brook being the parish boundary between Dore and Hathersage. The boundary follows Burbage Brook northwards before swinging towards Ringinglow Road and back towards Whirlow Bridge and Limb Lane. Dore was not subsumed into Sheffield until the 1930s.

Below are just three of the reports from the newspapers detailing how difficult life was in the Township of Dore in heavy snow. Reports of the severity of the snow storm in Derbyshire in 1888 appeared in newspapers throughout the country. In 1897 a death in the snow near to Fox House Inn was widely reported.

The Castleton Mail Cart's Journey

THE STORM IN DERBYSHIRE
THROUGH THE SNOW TO CASTLETON AGAIN
ANOTHER ADVENTUROUS RIDE
Sheffield Daily Telegraph
Wednesday 22nd February 1888

Sheffield markets were very thinly attended yesterday, owing to the roads being blocked in several directions, preventing the farmers from bringing their produce down, and in many instances from getting to town itself. Several Derbyshire friends, who set out determined to force a way through the snow, were obliged to turn back. Edward Hall, the driver of the Castleton mail‑cart, with his companion, William Eyre, had another rough experience yesterday. Leaving Sheffield at half-past five o'clock in the morning, driving tandem, as before, they got on fairly well till Dore Moor was reached, the drifts they encountered up to that stage not being very formidable.

But when they came to the Fox House side of Stony Ridge bar, where their troubles commenced the previous day, they were again in difficulty. It was the "same old place", but looked worse than ever. Hall, thinking he might ride over it if he could not get through, pressed his leader, "Bess" to mount the wreath [drift]. She did so, closely followed by the wheeler, "Polly". Then both horses sank to the girths in the yielding mass. Mr Peat, of the besom industry, had again to be called into service. With two of his men and another helper from Longshaw Lodge, "Bess" was dug out, after some arduous labour. When the leader began to feel her feet she did her best to bring her mate out of the depths, and in the effort plunged about so much that the traces parted. Hall then went back to Peat’s and procured some chains to make fresh traces.

After three-quarters of an hour’s work "Polly" was got out. Having been duly re-harnessed the journey was resumed. About an hour and 35 minutes was spent in getting through this drift, which was the biggest met with on the road, Though only some four or five yards in length, Hall says that standing up in his cart he could scarcely touch the top of it. The passage was cut through walls of snow which were certainly twelve to thirteen feet high. Fox House (the driver says) is at present a perfect picture of a wintry scene in the Derbyshire moorlands, and well deserves the attention of the photographer. Eaves, windows, and ledges are outlined in snow, which is piled up in the porch. Mr Thomson and his folks are like hermits of the hills, walled in by the battalions in white.

From the Bridge Road turning to the Toad's Mouth there was no passable highway to be seen, the snow being level with the stone wall. Hall, forsaking his ordinary course, turned down through Padley Wood to Grindleford Bridge and Stoke Hall, by Leadmill to Hathersage. There the travelling, though heavy, was easy compared with the usual route. The wind was blowing pretty stiffly, the snow, like a fine powder, settling all around them; there was no difficulty Hall thought worthy of mention was met with further, and he and his companion drove into Castleton at ten minutes to eleven, being due at five minutes past eight.

Several Castletonians were on the lookout for him, and they gave him a hearty greeting as he entered the capital of the Peak country. Leaving Castleton at 5.30 Hall did the return journey in excellent time. He was able to come by his ordinary route, a passage having been cut from the Toad's Mouth to the Bridge turning through the drifted snow, which was heaped up on either side five feet high. He drove up to the Sheffield Post Office at 8.20, only 15 minutes behind time.

A week later and the snow still lay in deep drifts in Dore Township. The snow had to be 'cut' so that the farmers and carriers could get to Sheffield markets.

Getting Milk to Market

Derbyshire Times
Wednesday 29th February 1888.

The farmers who resided at Long Line, near Dore Moor, and who had cut through the snow a week ago in order that they might take the milk to Sheffield, have had to undertake the task again, the snow lying in the roads to a depth of upwards five feet.

Mr Reuben Thompson, cab proprietor, of Sheffield, rode up to Dore Moor Inn en route for Fox House, but was advised not to proceed further till the snow was cut. Mr Thompson remarked that he could go where the mail cart had gone, and proceeded. He had not gone far before the trap, with its occupants, was overturned into the snow. No one was hurt, however.

Mr and Mrs Hattersley, of Dore were walking near the White Low Farm, where the snow was of great depth. Mrs Hattersley climbed on a wall, intending to get into a field, but became fast in a snow drift, and it was with great difficulty she was rescued.

The road from Fox House to Owler Bar is completely filled up to the depth of several feet, and in places there are even deeper drifts. The Stoney Middleton carrier, Hallam, who attends Sheffield markets, could not get there either on Tuesday or Thursday. He made an attempt on Saturday morning but just before reaching Wooden Pole near Froggatt Edge, his horses and waggon stuck in a large snow wreath. Some twenty men soon collected and cleared away the snow. The carrier finding this road impassable, went by Fox House and Dore Moor, arriving in Sheffield at nearly two o'clock, three hours after his usual time.

Tragedy in the Snow

LOST IN A DERBYSHIRE SNOWDRIFT
Buxton Advertiser
Saturday 30th January 1897

The Derbyshire moors in the immediate neighbourhood of Sheffield have experienced their full share of the bitterly cold weather and heavy snowstorms, and on Tuesday a death directly attributed to exposure was unhappily reported. On one of the moors at Strawberry Lea, near Stoney Ridge Bar. On the top of the hill leading to Fox House, lives a shepherd, named Motteran [Mottram], who employed a woman, sixty years of age as his housekeeper.

Mottteran is at present suffering from illness, and under the care of Dr Aldred of Dore. On Monday afternoon the housekeeper went to Fox House on an errand. She was seen about one o'clock, but from that time nothing more was heard of her until two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. Dr Aldred was then proceeding to Motteran's house, to pay him a visit, and when about 400 yards distant he noticed an umbrella partly showing above the snow. He naturally made search, and found the body of Motteran's housekeeper. Life had been extinct for some time, presumably since the previous afternoon. The doctor obtained assistance, and the woman's body was recovered from the snowdrift.

Near Fox House the cold had been very severe, and there had been frequent heavy falls of snow. In places the snow had drifted to a great depth, and it is in one of these drifts that the unfortunate woman's body was found. It is supposed that after finishing her business she set off for her home. She evidently struggled on as far as she was able, and then, overcome by the bitter cold and exhaustion, sank down in one of the deep drifts.

The spot where she perished was practically in sight of her house, as she was only a quarter of a mile away. The place, however, is rather lonely. Her great age would prevent her from battling very long with the cold, and it was possible that after falling in the drift she speedily became insensible from cold and died. The body was removed to the Cricketers' Arms [Cricket Inn], Totley.

The 1891 census gives the name of the shepherd as Thomas Mottram and his housekeeper as Catherine Murphy. According to the burial register Catherine Murphy of Strawberry Lea, Totley Moor aged 63 years, "perished in blizzard on moors". She was buried in Christ Church graveyard, Dore on 29th January 1897.

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