History of the Snake Pass

[JohnG]

Hi everyone!

My name is John Gilding and I am a trainee journalist at the University of Sheffield. I'm currently working on a feature about the legendary Snake Pass, and was wondering if anybody with some expertise on the history of that road would be willing to do a short video interview with me in the next few days?

It would focus on how the road has evovled over the years, and key events in its past.

Thanks!

[Paul Worrall]

Hi John,

Here's a couple of bits of information about the Snake Pass which may be worth looking into.

Firstly, during the 1960's there was a Sheffield Corporation Transport Dept service bus which ran to Manchester via the Snake Pass. I'm not sure when this service ended.

Secondly, in the late 1970's the winter was so server that the Snake Pass was closed and so was the Snake Pass Hotel. The Landlord of the Snake Pass got very angry and said he'd use dynamite to blow up the snow so that people could use the pub. (BBC Look North)

I'm afraid I've not got any more information. However, Derbyshire County Council Highways Dept based in Matlock are responsible for maintaning the Snake Pass so they may be a useful starting point.

Kind regards,

Paul 'Wazzie' Worrall

[DaveJC]

Going back to the 1960’s you put your life on the line by using the pass, no video cameras then when it was the unofficial road to drive like a complete idiot on, folk actually raced each other on it at incredibly fast speeds.

[Jane]

Hello John, you might find this book by Howard Smith interesting. Howard is a local historian and expert on roads: 

[antony]

Back in the ‘60s my Dad worked for the GPO and he has told me tales of being up the top of the telegraph poles on the Snake in the middle of winter in the snow !

[Edmund]

The poles along the Pass, now vastly depleted, were originally for the telegraph wires.  Due to storm damage, in 1927 the Post Office laid the lines underground, but left the poles in place to show travellers the way when snow covered the route.

[Heartshome]

On 13/12/2020 at 21:25, JohnG said:

Hi everyone!

My name is John Gilding and I am a trainee journalist at the University of Sheffield. I'm currently working on a feature about the legendary Snake Pass, and was wondering if anybody with some expertise on the history of that road would be willing to do a short video interview with me in the next few days?

It would focus on how the road has evovled over the years, and key events in its past.

Thanks!

Hi John. If you type in 'History of the Snake Pass' there are quite a lot of info sites come up that might be of help to you. Ok Heartshome.

[Hopman]

In March 2016 I was returning to Sheffield from Blackpool and came back over the Snake on a Monday afternoon following snow on the Friday. Here's a shot I took on the top.

[eldomsmith]

On 20/12/2020 at 13:31, Edmund said:

The poles along the Pass, now vastly depleted, were originally for the telegraph wires.  Due to storm damage, in 1927 the Post Office laid the lines underground, but left the poles in place to show travellers the way when snow covered the route.

There were still old trunk route poles there in the early 80s - the odd ones used for local distribution.