The Blizzard in the West
history / culture
* DUE FOR RELEASE AUGUST 2026
* DUE FOR RELEASE AUGUST 2026
On the night of 9 March 1891, one of the most violent storms ever recorded in the West of England swept across Devon, Cornwall, and West Somerset. What began as a winter gale became a true blizzard—driving snow with hurricane force,
isolating towns, halting railways, and wrecking ships along the coast.
Blizzard in the West is a vivid contemporary account of that extraordinary event. Drawing on reports from across the region, it records not only the dramatic scenes
at sea and on the railways, but also the quieter struggles of communities cut
off by snow, facing cold, hunger, and uncertainty.