Nottinghamshire County Council has agreed to develop new plans which could see Rufford Ford reopened to traffic under tightly controlled conditions, following a two-year closure prompted by a series of dangerous incidents fuelled by social media.
The ford on Rufford Lane, where Rainworth Water crosses the road near Rufford Country Park, became a viral hotspot from 2020 after videos of vehicles attempting to splash through the crossing attracted millions of online views. What began as local curiosity quickly escalated into national attention, with social-media “creators” travelling to the site to film dramatic crossings, often involving reckless driving.
Council officers report that some drivers deliberately attempted high-speed passes, reversed through the water for effect, or even drove up the watercourse toward Rufford Lake. Police were called out regularly to restore order as filmmakers stood in the road and residents reported intimidation, noise, and tampering with sluice gates.
In October 2022, a motorcyclist was seriously injured after striking the ford at speed, an event captured and circulated online. Following police advice that the site posed a serious risk to the public, the County Council used emergency powers to close Rufford Lane to vehicles from December 2022, placing concrete barriers across the route.
The authority then commissioned studies to assess long-term options, including installing traffic lights, altering the flow of Rainworth Water, restricting access, or building a bridge. Only two approaches — full closure to vehicles or constructing a bridge — were found to eliminate the antisocial behaviour entirely. The bridge option was rejected as prohibitively expensive, leading to a public consultation in late 2023 on permanently closing the ford to vehicles while keeping it open to pedestrians and cyclists.
That consultation, which ran from December 2023 to March 2024, drew 219 responses. Of these, 194 objected and 25 supported closure. While residents living closest to the site largely backed keeping it shut, opposition came mainly from drivers in the wider area — including members of Rufford Golf Club and motorists from Ollerton — who cited longer journey times and displaced traffic.
Support for closure was unanimous among Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Rufford Parish Council. The fire service noted that crews had previously attended four incidents at the site in two years, and that the temporary closure had posed no operational problems.
Among objectors, the most common alternative suggestions were traffic-calming measures (56 responses), dredging or managing the river (28), constructing a bridge (13), and improved signage or enforcement (21). The council subsequently ordered further technical work to examine whether some of these ideas could allow a safe reopening.
Hydrological experts confirmed that dredging would provide only temporary relief, as silt would quickly return, and warned of possible environmental and legal risks. Consultants also reaffirmed that bridge construction — including an “Irish bridge” design — would still be financially unrealistic.
However, the council’s highways team has now proposed a new combination of measures designed to allow vehicles to return while minimising danger and discouraging thrill-seeking. These include kerb build-outs and speed cushions to reduce approach speeds to around 25 mph, supported by flood gates that would automatically close when water reaches a set level. Electronic message signs on nearby routes such as the A614 and A616 would alert drivers when the ford is closed, and permanent CCTV cameras would monitor both safety and behaviour.
Because the ford sits beside the historic Rufford Mill, conservation issues will need careful consideration. Detailed design work will follow, alongside surveys and a formal consultation under the Highways (Traffic Calming) Regulations. Any objections would be decided later by the Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment.
The report to the Cabinet Member states that the scheme aims to “balance the perspectives of all stakeholders” and recognises how sharply opinion remains divided. Officers believe the proposed package of physical speed controls, flood gates and CCTV provides a comprehensive and proportionate solution that could allow Rufford Ford to reopen safely after almost three years of closure.
