Novice off-roaders on TikTok shut down centuries-old U.K. river crossing

The 1,000-year-old Rufford ford has been closed until further notice after local authorities got tired of towing sunken cars out of it

A driver gets stuck trying to cross the Rufford ford in the U.K.Photo by benregers on YouTube

When done properly, driving an off-road vehicle across a river or other body of water (a.k.a. fording) can be a fun and safe experience that does little or no damage to the natural ecosystem, or vehicle doing the crossing. When done wrong, á la TikTok, it’s dangerous, damaging to the environment, and probably quite frightening.

An historic river crossing in the U.K. had to be closed recently after local authorities became inundated with calls to help rescue ill-equipped drivers and vehicles trapped in the waters. At the request of the local fire department and police, the council in Nottinghanshire closed Rufford ford, which has been safely used by travellers for over 1,000 years.

At most times of year, the crossing, which intersects a normal asphalt road, is no much more than a trickle maybe a few inches deep. But during wetter seasons, the stream grows to up to several feet in depth and several metres in width. In other words, it becomes a photo op, and in the social media age, that can be a dangerous thing indeed.

Thanks to viral videos shared first on YouTube and then on TikTok, the crossing has become a hot-spot over the last few years, sometimes drawing crowds on rainy days as drivers gun their cars’ engines and attack the water at speed during their trendy attempts to get through — sometimes successfully, other times not.

Multiple locals, including Ben Gregory (benregers on YouTube), have taken to filming the antics and sharing the fails online, which may or may not contribute to the problem, but is entertaining to watch nonetheless.

The ford not only stops some cars in their tracks, flooding engines and leaving drivers to wait with wet shoes for a tow truck or climb out on their roofs like the driver of the red Peugeot in the video above, but actually washes a number of smaller rides downstream.

The Rufford ford remains closed, effectively shutting down that whole street, and local council says it’s exploring other ways to offer crossing at that location, including a bridge.