Forget snowmen, this guy was on a mission to build an igloo

This is the epic igloo made in Yorkshire as a thick blanket of snow covered parts of the UK.

The 4ft tall igloo was constructed from around 50 to 60 snow bricks which were made, sand castle-style, by packing snow into a storage box.

Each cube was turned out and added to the build, which took around six hours to complete.

Leading the construction was Ben Pickering, a second-year PhD student at the University of Leeds who also made a timelapse video of the build.

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Ben, 23, likes to go to Hebden Bridge when the weather turns wintry because “it has the geography to get the most snow in the region”, he told Press Association.

After looking at weather models, Ben had worked out he needed to get an early train to Hebden Bridge to make sure he and his boyfriend, Farran Chandler, were not thwarted by cancelled trains – and had a good spot for their build.

He even took with him the plastic storage block to make the igloo’s bricks

The key, says Ben, is to “really compact it in the box, stamping on it. And then use the lid of the box to smooth out the top”.

But as the temperatures were rising, it meant the snow was melting, making igloo construction a bit of a challenge.

“We had several showers of rain in the afternoon making the snow like slush and the last 20 bricks were very heavy. It gave the outside a nice sheen though.”

The couple arrived in Hebden Bridge at 8.05am, and after a pit-stop for a hot chocolate and bacon sandwich, got to work at around 9.30am.

Ben set up his GoPro 3 for the timelapse and for a 360 video used a Garmin VIRB 360.

On completion, the timelapse shows the couple stood either side of the igloo after their hard work.

But there was one design flaw, although there was enough room inside for both men to sit comfortably. Farran was unable to pass the narrow doorway.

Igloo building was just something that was always on the cards for Ben, it seems.

“I was always the kid at the beach building dams and extravagant castles,” he said.

“I’d tried to build (igloos) before. Once in Tamworth in 2010, but I cheated and used a trampoline for the roof, and again in Reading in 2012 but the snow was powder.”

This time though the conditions were just right.

So did he enjoy it?

“Focusing on that for six hours really give you time to think and ponder. It properly relaxes your mind and the sense of achievement at the end is wonderful.

“We had so many people come over and talk to us, I hope more people are inspired to build them.”