ANNIVERSARIES

DANNY BIRD highlights events that took place around Christmas in history

Danny Bird

27 DECEMBER 1836 Britain's deadliest avalanche strikes Disaster befalls an East Sussex town, killing eight people On Christmas Eve 1836, a severe blizzard hit southern England. Heavy snowfall and gale-force winds caused a massive accumulation of snow on the steep Cliffe Hill overlooking the East Sussex town of Lewes, beneath which lay seven workers’ cottages along Boulder Row. Despite warnings of potential danger, many residents refused to leave, fearing that they'd be forced to take refuge in the workhouse. On 26 December some of the snow tumbled down from the hill, destroying a nearby timber yard. Then, at 10.15am the following morning, the snowdrift collapsed entirely, sparking an avalanche that engulfed Boulder Row, crushing the cottages and killing eight people. Rescuers dug out six survivors, including two-year-old Fanny Boakes, whose…

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Bbc History (Digital) - 1 Issue, Christmas 2024

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