Burwash pub landlady takes in stranded motorists forced to abandon cars in the snow

About 40 people were welcomed into the Bear Inn overnight on Sunday (December 11) after many had to abandon their cars and one pair of travellers were involved in a crash.

Despite all of the bedrooms at the Inn being booked up, landlady Pauline Wilson, allowed the stranded travellers to stay the night as they ‘had nowhere else to go’.

She said: “We have eight motel rooms and we had already filled them, but people just kept coming.

“We couldn’t turn them away so we decided that we’d just take them all in and we would just have to make shift on the floor."

She also provided hot drinks, food and a log fire to keep the stranded motorists warm.

Brian Reynolds was travelling from Birmingham to Hastings to visit his mother Conquest Hospital when he was forced to seek refuge at the Inn.

He said: “Big up to Pauline and her staff at the Bear Inn, Burwash, because although she had no bedrooms left she kept the pub open and warm to settle many travellers that had either got stuck or crashed their cars or abandoned their travel plans.

“Pauline even fed us, we are all so grateful.”

Others took to Twitter to share their gratitude towards the staff at the pub.

In a tweet, Dr Alexandra Loske said: “Stranded and snowed in near Burwash since 5pm.

"A 2-mile treck through the snow to The Bear Inn, which has taken in dozens of people and is staying open all night.

"Hot drinks, logfires, mattresses for children.

"Human kindness.”

Despite the conditions, Ms Wilson said the atmosphere was ‘fantastic’ as people ‘from all walks of life’ came together.

Two couples made do with sleeping in a bay window with just a duvet to keep them warm, while three women who had never met each other before ended up sharing a room and said they would remain lifelong friends after the experience.