1st. A fine mild day. The sun shone out quite warm. The moles are throwing up their heaps in the fields in great quantities, this is generally considered to be a sign of rain.
"And feel at every step,
Our foot half sunk in hillocks green and soft,
Rais'd by the mole, the miner of the soil."
A clear unclouded night: Poa Annua (annual meadow grass), Lamium Purpureum (red dead nettle), Leontodon Taraxacum (dandelion), Bellis Perennis (common daisy), Senecio Vulgaris (common groundsel). Fl.
2nd. Thick fog in the morning–fine day–cloudy evening.
3rd. Heavy fall of rain.
4th. Cold dreary day–occasional falls of snow.
5th. Severe frost, and heavy fall of snow several inches deep–birds congregate.
6th. Heavy fall of snow in the morning–fine day–severe frost in the evening and very cold.
7th. Cold north wind–cloudy–severe frost–the snow covers the ground.
8th. Frost–fine clear day–the birds are become tame.
9th. Frost–fine clear day.
10th. Very severe frost–pools frozen over–wind east.
11th. During the last night and the greater part of to-day the snow fell in great quantities; the wind blew very strong to the north and north-east, and drifted the snow at some places to the height of six and eight feet. Such a fall of snow was never remembered by the oldest person; it beat with such violence that it was almost impossible to leave the house, all travelling was stopped. The mail coach was several times overturned; none of the other coaches attempted to proceed; the march of a regiment of soldiers was prevented; some houses could hardly be approached, all the entrances being blocked up with snow. It was certainly the most suprising snow storm ever experienced in this part of the country. It ceased snowing about 4 o'clock P.M., when the wind subsided, but the heavens continued very gloomy, and a little snow fell about 9 o'clock P.M. ; the cold was not very intense.
12th. A fine clear day but very cold–severe frost–the river Teign frozen over–the snow deep in the roads, no carriages able to pass–the mails carried on horseback–birds feed on the vegetables in the gardens, and numbers of them found dead.
"How find the myriads that in summer cheer
The hills and valleys with their ceaseless songs
Due sustenance, or where subsist they now ?
Earth yields them nought ; the imprisoned worm is safe
Beneath the frozen clod ; all seeds of herbs
Lie covered close ; and berry bearing thorns
That feed the thrush (whatever some suppose)
Afford the smaller minstrels no supply.
The long protracted rigour of the year
Thins all their num'rous flocks. In chinks and holes
Ten thousand seek an unmolested end
As instinct prompts, self-buried ere they die."
13th. Fine day but severely cold–carriages are drawn through the snow with great difficulty–the mail from London did not arrive until 7 o'clock P.M., 18 hours later than the usual time.
14th. The day was ushered in with a strong east wind and piercing cold–at 9 o'clock A.M. the snow began to fall, and continued for several hours. All the attempts which had been made to render the roads passable became useless, as the drifting of the snow again blocked up the roads. Several who attempted to pass over Haldon and in various other directions were obliged to return to the town. The coach came from Plymouth but could not proceed any further. The heaps of snow at some places reached to the roofs of the houses.
15th. It thawed a little–cloudy and a thick fog. I walked about a mile from the town on the Exeter road to see a pass cut in the snow; before this was effected all travelling was stopped; snow completely filled up the road and was from eight to twelve feet in height. A sight so very unusual attracted many spectators. The roads having been cleared some carts passed, and the mails were carried on horseback.
16th. Thaw during the day, and thick fog, a great many people who were detained by the snow were able to leave the town–the coaches could not proceed the whole way from Plymouth to Exeter–the snow is disappearing very gradually without rain–a fortunate circumstance, as danger was apprehended from floods.
17th. Snow disappearing gradually–a number of travellers who had been detained passed to-day–it froze towards the evening, and about 8 o'clock P.M. snow began again to fall.
18th. Snow and rain.
19th. Snow with sleet and rain–the melting of the snow has again rendered the roads impassable–the coaches were forced to return to the town, being unable to pass over Haldon –A heavy fall of snow in the evening.
20th. A great drift of snow during the night, and severe frost–all travelling prevented–the coach passengers detained in the town–the streets filled with large heaps of snow.
21st. Severe frost–fine day–fall of snow in the evening–the unusual severity of the weather continues in full force–the coaches and waggons are buried in the snow on Haldon–In some of the streets steps are cut in the snow to descend to the houses.
22nd. Severe frost–cold day, and occasional falls of snow a number of people passed on horseback, the only modeof travelling.
23rd. Severe frost and cold north wind.
24th. Frost–a number of labourers working on the turnpike roads.
25th. Frost, but the wind not quite so cold. The roads however cleared of the snow, and many carriages passed. The mails still come in at irregular hours.
26th. Rapid thaw with rain and thick fog towards the evening. The general average depth of the snow has been about three feet. A great number of birds have died, and the hares entered the gardens near the town for the vegetables and got entangled in the snow.
27th. Thick frost during the night–thaw with rain.
28th. Thaw–fine day–the sun shone out warm–the ground appears at some places–the snow in the streets disappearing gradually–the snow was drifted to the height of 18 and 20 feet at some places.
29th. Thaw–in the morning the wind was south–about noon it came round to the north-west, and blew a tremendous storm, a little snow fell–the report that some soldiers were lost in the snow on Haldon is incorrect, a single life has not been lost anywhere–the barometer fell to 30p. below 28in.
30th. Fine day–cold and frosty towards the evening–the Teign has overflowed its banks.
31st. Cold dreary day–falls of snow and hail.
