Gritting and snow clearance in Caterham

High ground, steep valley drives and a lot of shared paths, cleared and salted by hand.

Caterham is high. Even the lowest ground in town, down by the railway, is about 110 metres up, and the hilltops pass 230. Height usually means colder nights than down in the Weald, and snow can settle on the Hill while it’s still sleet lower down. Our gritting in Caterham is done by hand: snow cleared off paths, drives, steps and entrances, then a careful layer of salt.

It’s the same team every visit, coming up from Horley. You can ring us when the snow arrives, or agree your paths before winter and we’ll come out whenever frost or snow is forecast, then let you know it’s done.

Gritting Caterham’s steep valley drives

After the railway arrived in 1856, larger houses went up in the secluded valleys, and many of them were built into the slope, with drives and steps climbing to the front door. A gradient like that is fine in the dry and treacherous under a skin of ice. Height isn’t the whole story, either. On still, clear nights cold air drains downhill and gathers in low ground, so a valley garden can stay white long after a sunny spot higher up has thawed.

On a slope we salt the full walking line, steps included. Where clay caps the chalk, water collects in dips and freezes thick, so those patches get checked again through a cold spell.

Flats, The Village and Caterham’s care homes

For a town of about 21,000 people, Caterham has more than 2,500 flats, plus the big redevelopments on the old barracks and hospital land. There, the shared paths, bin store routes and car parks are somebody’s responsibility but rarely anyone’s job. Care homes in town include dementia care, where residents and visitors may be less steady on their feet. Managing agents and residents’ boards can agree a written winter plan with us, covering which routes get treated and when, which also helps with the HSE’s expectation that outdoor walking routes are managed in ice and snow.

Gritting in Caterham: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

Does it really snow more on Caterham on the Hill?

Often, yes. Temperature drops as you climb, so the Hill can see settling snow while the lower valleys get sleet. If you live up there, it’s worth having your paths on our winter list rather than waiting to ring.

Our residents’ association wants the block gritted. Who do you deal with?

Whoever holds the budget, usually the managing agent or the residents’ board. We’ll walk the site with them, agree the paths, steps and bin store routes, and confirm it all in writing.

Will salt hurt the plants in our chalky borders?

Salt is bad news for most plants on any soil, and the damage usually shows in spring as browned leaf edges. We keep it on the hard surface, use no more than the surface needs and never dump salty snow on lawns or beds.