AN ancient road river crossing between Sheffield and Nottingham which has been in use for well over 1000 years was forced to close earlier this year after becoming a social media star.
The decision came after requests from the fire and police services who struggled to manage a once unremarkable rural lane that gained global fame and become the No1 flood accident hotspot in Britain.
“With the age of social media it has become a tourist attraction. People are driving there specifically to have a go at going through the ford. They don’t realise how deep it is and suddenly their car starts floating” said Neil Clarke, a local councillor in the Guardian.
Rufford Ford, which intersects with Rainworth Water, a small river situated to the east of Mansfield, can be easily crossed as a small trickle during dry weather conditions.
However, during heavy rain, the river swells to several feet deep and up to 30ft (9 metres) wide, resembling a log flume ride at a theme park, but without the high entry price and expensive soft drinks.
Drivers would literally flood there to try to navigate the waterway and almost float from one side to the other, without getting trapped in the middle.
Unfortunately, many drivers, fooled by the leafy surroundings and birdsong, underestimated the dangers posed by the crossing’s depth and found themselves marooned as their vehicles became submerged in water.
What’s more, the embarrassed thrill-seekers were often forced to seek assistance from onlookers to get towed out of the ford – or the emergency services.
Initially, this issue was only a local concern. And then in 2020 the stream got streamed by local lad Ben Gregory. He began filming and uploading videos of cars struggling in the water to YouTube. Suddenly, what was once a small Nottinghamshire lane became a popular tourist attraction with a devoted fanbase.
Another YouTuber, known as midlifecrisis101x, who spent hours sharing footage from Rufford Ford, explained why people loved his videos. “They don’t want to seeing people winning. What they want to do is to watch idiots and go: ‘I’m having a really bad day but he’s having a worse one.
“It’s wanton stupidity. You’ve got a perfectly good motor vehicle and a sign that says road closed. Why are you going to put your car in that?”
Unfortunately, the emergency services didn’t find it so amusing. And after 96 call-outs in just five years to the Midlands dangerzone, the 1000-year-old lane was shut down.
At least there’ll always be YouTube…
Check out the very best of Tom Sunderland’s Ford fails below.
And some of the best moments from Ben Gregers.
