The crossing was originally priced at £1 million, though expenses could now be even higher
An urgent shutdown was imposed on Rufford Ford in late 2022 (Image: Oliver Pridmore/Nottingham Post)
Proposals for a £1 million structure spanning a Nottinghamshire ford continue to split opinion among locals and those who previously created YouTube content at the location.
One opponent of reopening Rufford Ford contends that constructing a bridge there would constitute an immense waste of funds, though others have labelled the scheme key to restoring a public route.
The Reform UK-led council, reviewing the bridge option, states nothing is yet definitive and that a conclusive decision will be announced this autumn.
The Rufford Lane crossing has been shut since December 2022 following a request from Nottinghamshire Police after it developed into something of a visitor attraction through viral YouTube clips depicting failed attempts when water levels were excessive.
Spectators assembling at the ford’s entrance and motorists accelerating to generate impressive water sprays featured among the hazardous elements that triggered its closure, although some maintain no genuine incidents ever occurred there.
Nevertheless, neighbouring residents have described anti-social conduct from drivers, numerous close calls and vehicles overturning at speed in the past.
The shutdown began as a stopgap measure and the preceding Conservative administration at Nottinghamshire County Council were close to making it permanent.
Reform subsequently assumed leadership and declared their aim for a final resolution regarding the ford’s reopening this year, with a definitive outcome now scheduled for autumn.
The Nottingham Post previously reported that despite Conservative dismissal of a bridge scheme as prohibitively costly and as detracting from the ford’s historic character, such a structure is being reconsidered.
Previously priced at £1 million, reviving the bridge proposal has created disagreement among those who have monitored the Rufford Ford situation closely.
Jonathan Ball, a Rufford Lane inhabitant for three decades, said constructing a new bridge on a rural lane that does not even form part of the main road network, and a bridge that virtually none of the lane’s residents have requested, would represent an enormous squandering of Nottinghamshire council taxpayers’ funds. He added that the heritage aspect is significant because the ford defines Rufford, and even when barred to vehicles, it is evident this is a ford. With modest investment, its visual appeal and historical significance could be maintained, as the council’s original closure proposal acknowledged.
One of the prominent YouTubers who filmed at Rufford Ford, who prefers to remain anonymous using the Midlifecrisis101x channel name, maintained that restoring the public highway was what mattered most. He said if it opens the road then that is what is needed. All the local residents have accomplished is blocking off a route that emergency services use virtually every day. Some YouTubers would return, he noted, knowing a few who would gravitate back like flies to honey, but the community has progressed beyond Rufford Ford and is thriving by covering various other locations. It should never have been shut in the first instance, so reopening that route is the priority and resuming traffic flow to relieve the neighbouring villages that have endured difficulties during the closure.
A Nottinghamshire County Council representative previously commented that they continue engaging in technical discussions regarding the optimal approach to traffic management at Rufford Water following scoping work conducted earlier this year. It remains premature to be definitive at this juncture, though they will be ready to share an update in the autumn.