Derby Mercury Wednesday 01 February 1865 The Bakewell Mail Snow Bound The snow storm of Friday last will be long remembered in this neighbourhood. Seldom during the last few years has snow fallen in this neighbourhood in such quantities, as to impede the traffic even in the less frequented roads leading from Sheffield. Several of the roads out of the town have been almost “snowed up,” and in the outskirts considerable difficulty was experienced by pedestrians in making their way. The road from Sheffield to Owler Bar was in several places rendered impassable, and two unusual occurrences transpired upon it. The first was the complete stoppage of the Bakewell mail coach. The mail, which was driven by Mr. SIMS, left Bakewell at the usual time, half-past four, and up to Owler Bar, met with no unusual stoppage. The latter place was reached at the proper time – a little after six o’clock; and here four fresh horses were placed in the coach. Here the first difficulties were experienced, for in a distance of a few yards a very large snow drift, of a considerable length and about seven feet in depth, was encountered. The horses sank in it, and for above an hour and a half efforts were made to clear the way. At last the road was cleared, and the horses, now almost exhausted with their efforts, got away again; but in a short time another, hardly less formidable, drift was encountered, at a place known as Moorbeck’s farm. Four men were engaged in clearing the snow away, but a stoppage of some duration had to be endured before the coach could be got again under weigh (as written!). At last perseverance and hard labour again got her majesty’s mails going, and a further effort to reach Sheffield was made, but the difficulties of the road were not yet overcome, for before reaching Totley Pike, about a mile from Owler Bar, a tremendous drift, above 40 yards in length, and seven or eight feet in depth, was got into. Here the driver, Mr SIMS was thrown off the box into the snow, and one of the horses fell on the top of him. Great difficulty was experienced in getting the driver and horse clear, for they had to be dug out of the snow, but at last it was done. All hopes to extricate the coach were now given up, it was almost completely buried, and it was decided to leave it, at least for a time, to its fate. Mr SIMS, who had suffered considerably by his fall and the weight of the horse on the top of him, managed to walk down to the “Waggon and Horses”, some distance off, where he procured a horse and conveyed the mails to Sheffield, arriving at the Post Office at half-past twelve! Persons were left in charge of the discarded coach, and on Friday afternoon it was brought to Sheffield. On Saturday, men were engaged in clearing the roads, in order that the traffic might be carried on, but it was decided not to run the coach on that day, and the mails were conveyed in a dog-cart. The second stoppage to which we allude occurred to a cab belonging to Mr MITCHELL, Angel Street. It also left Bakewell early in the day, having Mr WILD, manager of the Sheffield and Rotherham Bank, and two other gentlemen inside. Upon reaching Owler Bar it got into a snow drift, which took the horses up to their necks, and almost buried the cab. Efforts to get clear of the “difficulty” were of course made, but it was not until considerable time was spent that the journey could be resumed, and Sheffield was not reached until a late hour. The stoppages were unaccompanied, fortunately, with any very serious results. Mr SIMS was rather severely shaken by his fall, and the driver of the cab also suffered a little in the same way. Her Majesty's Mail delivered at all costs!! Yay for Mr Sims! -- Rose Kelland www.rosescountryrose.blogspot.com www.livesandtimesofbella.blogspot.com