"David Buttery" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:23:27 +0000, peter clarke wrote:

These reports of long-lasting patches of snow has reminded me of a Mr
N. Field , who lived in Eversham in the 1940s , and made regular visits
to Broadway Hill ( 1048ft) to check on winter conditions there
compared to his valley town ( obviously he was a snow enthusiast). In
1947, after the exceptional winter, he made several summer visits. On
28 June he reported ( in a letter to 'Weather ' in 1948) that a drift
15 x11 yards still survived there despite the heatwave at the end of May
and in early June. Unable to get to the site in July, he showed
commendable initiative by contacting County Council roadmen who were
working in the area and they reported that the drift survived until at
least 12 July.

That's quite remarkable! Are the Cotswolds particularly good at retaining
snow, I wonder? It's been noticeable this month that quite a bit has
remained for a surprisingly long time given the modest altitudes the
hills reach. Evesham [sic] might not be the best place to live for a snow
enthusiast for back-garden snow, but at least it's within easy reach of
some decent hills!

--
Bewdley, Worcs. ~90m asl.

Thanks , David. I can't remember where I read it, but I believe that , in
the same area, a drift is said to have survived until August in 1684 ( after
another severe winter, of course|). The writer may have been Gordon Manley.
By the way, Mr Field mentioned that the ' very large drift' was protected
from the direct rays of the sun by a large coppice of fir and pine trees on
its E., S. and W. sides.

Peter Clarke