Patrons and staff found themselves snowed in at Britain's highest pub yesterday as blizzard conditions during Storm Chandra caused widespread disruption across the Yorkshire Dales. Around twenty-five people, including a six-month-old baby, were trapped inside The Tan Hill Inn in Richmond when heavy snowfall and ice completely blocked access roads.
Guests Settle In for Unexpected Stay
Among those stranded at the remote pub, which sits 1,732 feet above sea level, were fifteen overnight customers, five individuals staying in nearby campervans, and a female walker who sought shelter as the wintry weather intensified. The pub quickly lit fires to keep everyone warm and comfortable during the unexpected confinement.
In a social media update announcing their temporary closure, the establishment noted that "our guests are settling down after a Tan Hill Full English" breakfast. Pub spokesman Tony Durrant commented on the situation before guests were freed, explaining that "the routes out were blocked by traffic this morning, which got caught in the bad conditions."
Rescue Efforts Thwarted by Stranded Vehicles
A dedicated gritter driver's attempts to clear the roads were frustrated by a stranded heavy goods vehicle that blocked the route. The customers were eventually freed by 3pm, bringing their seven-hour ordeal to an end. Andrew Hields, landlord of The Tan Hill Inn, told the BBC that by the pub's standards, the snowfall was "not that heavy," but explained that "it was other vehicles struggling on the hills in the area which blocked our guests in."
Durrant provided reassurance about the youngest guest, stating: "One of the fifteen guests is a six-month-old baby. They're perfectly safe and in a nice warm room, not a problem. Everyone is making a fuss over it." He added that guests were "just sitting around and having a bit of lunch" with no organised entertainment as they expected to be freed relatively quickly.
Second Major Snow-In This Winter
This incident marks the second time this winter that the remote pub has been cut off by severe weather. Earlier this month, staff and customers were trapped for six days until a fellow barmaid came to their rescue. During that extended confinement, the pub kept the public updated through social media with heartwarming posts showing guests building snowmen and playing board games together.
The establishment even received emergency supplies from supermarket chain Aldi after announcing a "red wine and banger shortage" during the prolonged snow-in. While some guests managed to leave earlier during that incident, staff weren't able to exit until Thursday when a colleague finally relieved them of their duties.
Wider Weather Disruption Across Britain
Meanwhile, Britain faces further weather misery as nearly four hundred areas remain on flood alert following Storm Chandra's record-breaking rainfall. A major incident has been declared in Somerset following extraordinary deluges, while the Environment Agency has issued one hundred flood warnings and two hundred sixty-two alerts across England.
National Rail has warned that major disruption will continue until at least the end of Friday on Great Western Railway services between Exeter, Okehampton and Barnstaple in Devon due to flooding, advising passengers not to travel. Severe weather has also impacted ScotRail services between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness with speed restrictions imposed for safety reasons.
The Met Office has issued ice warnings covering much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland until 10am, cautioning about potential "injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces" as rain froze on untreated paths and roads overnight. Temperatures dropped to -5°C (23°F) in the Scottish Highlands, while England recorded lows of -1°C (30°F) in Surrey.
UK Health Security Agency cold health alerts for northern England remain in effect until Friday amid concerns about "greater risk to life of vulnerable people." A twelve-hour yellow rain warning has also been announced for South West England tomorrow from midday to midnight, with authorities concerned about further rainfall exacerbating existing flooding problems.
