Kent in Snow

In line with predictions, eastern Britain is having one of its coldest winters for two decades, with the inevitable result that 15cm of snow brought the trains to a halt and left quite a number of businesses closed. Not that it stopped a large number of people from driving through the snow and slush up the steep sides of the North Downs for an afternoon of snowball fights, tobogganing, skiing and even snowboarding.

From here in the Wye National Nature Reserve, just west of the steep valley known as the Devil's Kneading Trough, there's an incredible view across the weald of Kent, looking just like a scene from Bruegel. The weather changed from moment to moment, with sudden snow flurries from dark, heavy clouds replacing the weak winter sunshine, but nothing was going to stop the fun for the crowds who'd arrived to hurl themselves down steep, snow-covered slopes that they'd probably never dream of climbing up in summer.

Perhaps not strictly my best of the year - that title would probably go to one of the virtual tour panoramas for a client, but with a busy end to 2005 I simply hadn't got round to getting permission to use one of them here. Nonetheless, it's very much seasonal, and it's certainly one of the best coverings of snow that's been seen in the area for a good few years.

Europe / UK-England

Lat: 51° 10' 7" N
Long: 0° 58' 8" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Canon EOS 350D, Sigma 8mm fisheye lens, 360Precision tripod head.