KIND-HEARTED villagers came to the aid of drivers stranded on Dartmoor after a surprise heavy snowfall last night.

Residents brought hot drinks and snack to motorists caught out by the sudden dump of snow on high ground near Lydford on Monday night. Drivers either waited patiently for snowploughs and gritters or chose to abandon their cars and walk – which caused road blocks the next day.

Drivers were grateful to helpful farmers with tractors and others with 4x4 vehicles who dragged occupied or abandoned cars out of snowdrifts to avoid blocking roads.

The snow and earlier flooding in Mary Tavy, Horrabridge and Princetown caused travel problems on West Devon’s roads overnight and this morning (Tuesday) with Okehampton College and Tavistock College school buses delayed or cancelled due to hazardous road conditions and blockages caused by abandoned cars.

The snow and ice was expected cause further problems later this week as temperatures plummeted following more snow and rain.

Nadine Lamb is grateful for the reassuring presence of the volunteer Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response group. She was driving back from Bicton College where she dropped off her daughter, when she was stuck for three hours as the snow settled on the A386 near Lydford on Monday night.

She said: “It was so calming to have the four-by-four guys there. They got there before the police and were walking up and down the line of stuck cars like me reassuring everyone they were there to help if needed. One guy advised me to stay where I was and not to get out and walk because it was dangerous. They said to sit and wait because the police were coming and a gritter or snowplough was on its way. It was bad enough that one snowplough had already got stuck.”

A grateful driver stuck in their car in snow thanked the Lydford community for moving stranded cars and providing food and hot drinks to motorists last night: “I just want to be able to say a huge huge thank you to the people that were helping everyone who was stuck between Lydford and Mary Tavy.

“Especially to a gentleman who was offering food and making sure people in their cars were okay, to the big gritter lorry that came along, and to the people helping to push cars out (including mine) to get going again, I was one of the people that was stuck and honestly not sure what I would have done otherwise! We have some amazing people in the community.”

Meanwhile, local resident Dena Logan, who lives at Higher Beardon, said: “There have been some really kind people helping out drivers who must have been really worried stuck in their cars in the snow at night. None of us expected such heavy snow that settled very fast. we couldn’t get out of our drive, the snow was so thick.”

On Monday night, West Devon Police were advising people to not travel due to the weather conditions after helping keep roads open after several accidents caused by ice, snow and floods.

Meanwhile, Yelverton firefighters helped pump out a flooded basement and assisted cars stuck in the snow.