It started snowing on Saturday 27th November. At the time I (Vicki) was visiting my Dad up in Newcastle on Tyne. He already had about 8 inches of snow when we arrived on the Friday, having picked my sister up in Shipley near Bradford. It carried on snowing until it got to well over a foot of snow. Fortunately our Quashquai coped brilliantly in the snow, and we were able to drive my Dad around. On the Saturday evening Steve rang to say that if we didn’t come home on Sunday morning, we wouldn’t get home! The journey took 5 hours .. normally two and a half to 3 hours!
The Stables holiday cottage in snow
It carried on snowing, and apart from Steve going to fetch our housekeeper June & her husband on the Monday, neither of us were able to ‘get out’ for a week. We had 5 to 6 foot snow drifts on our drive down from Holestone Gate Road, and were unable to leave via the farmyard either. Where it hadn’t drifted, the snow reached over our knees!
On Sunday Steve was able to move his 4-wheel drive truck up to the farm, and yesterday we were able to ‘get out’ at last. We had all but run out of hen food and needed provisions for ourselves too. Holestone Gate Road and the B6014 Tansley to Clay Cross road were still badly affected by snow, and only one car width was passable.
Two lots of guests who had been due to come at the start of December cancelled their stay, and we offered alternative dates, so that they can come some other time.
The Barn holiday cottage in snow
Today, at last, our drive has been cleared by a local farmer, so hopefully we’ll be able to get our Quashquai up and out. There’s hope for this weekend’s guests yet!
The alpacas really struggle in the snow, which of course covers up the grass which they normally graze on. We also give them special alpaca supplement feed, a bit like layers pellets for hens, calf nuts for calves. We also give them chopped carrot, which has to be chopped into sticks not rounds.
The 'boys' in snow
