In Pictures: Snowy scenes after coldest night in UK since 2012

Gulls and ducks stand on ice in front of canal boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Snow covers the ground around Corfe Castle in Dorset (Andrew Matthews/PA)

A snowman merged in to the wintry backdrop (Jonathan Brady/PA)

A dog walker at the Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The Duchess of Sussex arrives for a visit to the Bristol Old Vic theatre during a snow flurry (Ben Birchall/PA)

A van makes its way through the snow on the B3081 near to Shaftesbury (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Fields near Hawkhurst in Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA)

A cyclist rides through Queen’s Square in Bristol (Ben Birchall/PA)

Snow covers houses in Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset (Andrew Matthews/PA)

A dog walker braves the chill for an early-morning walk (Ben Birchall/PA)

A man walks next to Connaught Water in Epping Forest after overnight snow (Wesley Johnson/PA)

A snowplough clears a road near in Shaftesbury, Dorset (Andrew Matthews/PA)

In the meadow we can build a snowman … at Pinkneys Green in Maidenhead (Pete Clifton/PA)

The sun rises over Stirling Castle after overnight snow (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Houses in Chingford, North London after the overnight snow (Wesley Johnson/PA)

Persistent snow began to spread across the south-east late on Thursday (Pete Clifton/PA)

The view from Jamaica Inn, made famous by Daphne du Maurier in her classic novel, on Bodmin Moor (Jamaica Inn/PA)

Inside the hotel, makeshift beds were laid out to provide refuge for motorists stranded on the A30 (Jamaica Inn/PA)

Sweeping snow from vehicles was an early-morning chore for many motorists (Ben Birchall/PA)

Snow dusts the Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead (Tom Wilkinson/PA)