The Worst Winter 1962/63

The winter of 1962-63 was the coldest in Britain since 1740, beating even the extreme temperatures of 1947. From Boxing Day 1962 onwards, much of Britain was covered in snow for two months and the sea froze along the south coast. In January, Littlehampton received 15 inches of snow in one week and a five foot snowdrift blocked the main railway line between Barnham and Chichester. On 12th January the temperature in Littlehampton was recorded as -11°C (11°F). Seagulls floated on the ice floes in Littlehampton harbour and a couple of swans died after being frozen into the ice. Power cuts became the norm and there were local shortages of coal and paraffin for heating.

Film by Robert “Bob” Currie, by kind permission of Screen Archive South East