by Adam Williams

awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

A winter wonderland greeted many as they woke on Sunday morning to 10cm of snow.

Storms moved in from the west around 9.30pm on Saturday and continued into the early hours of Sunday.

Roads coped well despite the late season dumping as young and old seized the chance to enjoy the conditions by walking the dog or picking up an adrenaline rush on their sleds.

The slopes at Kent University’s campus and on Chaucer Fields proved popular with residents in the Harkness Drive and St Michael’s Road areas of Canterbury.

Major routes in and around the district were well gritted and passable by mid-morning, but some rural roads did become treacherous in the conditions. Vicarage Lane in Elham was shut on Sunday afternoon due to thick ice between Pound Lane and Old Road.

Train passengers experienced delays first thing on Sunday due to signalling problems between Faversham and Dover Priory. Southeastern High Speed services to St Pancras were also affected by the adverse conditions. Level crossing barriers at Pickelden Lane in Chilham remained closed for most of Sunday after a signalling fault.

Stagecoach was forced to cancel some of its bus services, including the number 17 between Canterbury and Folkestone via the Elham Valley and run a restricted service on other routes.

A light dusting also swept through Canterbury on Friday night and Saturday morning as temperatures plummeted below freezing.

Sports fixtures across the district fell victim to the conditions. Saturday’s non-league football fixtures involving Canterbury City and Whitstable Town were both called off due to frozen pitches.

On Sunday, the Kent indoor cricket finals at Canterbury’s St Lawrence Ground were also postponed to save teams from as far afield as Sevenoaks and Yalding from travelling down.

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