4 December 2022, Sunday
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Rufford Mill Ford – England’s Most Infamous Water Crossing
If you view TikTok or YouTube or Facebook videos you will probably have seen videos of cars trying to cross Rufford Mill Ford. It’s in Nottinghamshire, in the North of England, where the Rainworth River (an excellent name for a river!) crosses a public road. There is a wooden footbridge but any vehicles such as tractors, trucks and cars have to cross the river. This is fine when water levels are low, but when it rains… the river can swell to 2 feet and higher in-depth as indicated by a single yellow marker.
Cork Ford breaks down in Ford!
One of the many YouTube videos shows a white-coloured Cork registered 2020 Ford Kuga 202-C-2705 driving into the Ford (see 00:20 in the video below). It then conks out, starts rolling backwards, and re-starts with white smoke/condensation coom the dual exhausts of the 1.5 Turbo Diesel Titanium spec car.
The video comes from TikTik user ‘Bengreger’s and his email address of RuffordFordVideos@gmail.com highlights just how famous the ford is. It benefits local videographers and breakdown services/garages.
The Cork Ford in the Ford circa November 2021
The Cork Ford after the Ford, showing white smoke/condensation circa November 2021
The Cork Ford must have travelled a long way to reach the Ford
A Google search reveals that this car happens to be for sale right now! It is currently listed as being for sale for €32,495 at a North County Cork garage https://www.cavanaghs.com/used-cars/ford/kuga/24769267/ where the photos indicate it served as a ‘Courtesy Car’.
The Rufford Mill Ford crossing is roughly between Sheffield and Nottingham, within the historic Sherwood Forest-encompassing county. The address is listed as 9-2 Rufford Lane, Newark, England with Google even classifying the location as a tourist attraction!
Just before this weekend, the famous Rufford Mill Ford was closed “to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians”. The local County Council and Police force have committed to improving safety in the area. The closure will remain “while a longer-term solution is developed”.
A ford is a much cheaper form of river crossing than a bridge, but it may become impassable after heavy rain or during flood conditions. Most modern fords are usually shallow enough to be crossed by cars and other wheeled or tracked vehicles (a process known as “fording”). The UK has more than 2,000 fords making them an unusual sight, while Ireland has so few that one website on the topic lists only 10!
The closure comes in response to an increase in incidents in the area. Police Inspector Matthew Ward said: “We appreciate that Rufford Ford is an integral part of the Estate, however increasingly dangerous and irresponsible driving seen at the location which is putting vehicle occupants and viewing public in significant danger… This decision has been made to safeguard and prevent harm to both highway users and pedestrians.”
