
Rufford Ford is the river crossing that went viral on YouTube and TikTok
England, europe
N/A
9 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: you're cruising through the heart of Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England, right near Sherwood Forest, south of Ollerton. You're on Rufford Lane, a paved road cutting through some seriously beautiful scenery.
Suddenly, you hit Rufford ford, an ancient river crossing on Rainworth Water, just east of Mansfield. Most days, it's a cute, shallow trickle – no biggie. But wait for a downpour! This little stream transforms into a raging river, swelling to several feet deep and up to 30 feet wide. It's less charming stream and more "log flume gone wild".
For a while, it became *the* place to be, with drivers lining up to splash through. And, well, let's just say things didn't always go according to plan. Picture this: a motorcyclist being launched over his handlebars. Yikes! Eventually, things got so dicey that the authorities had to shut it down to keep everyone safe. So, for now, Rufford Ford is closed.
Where is it?
Rufford Ford is the river crossing that went viral on YouTube and TikTok is located in England (europe). Coordinates: 53.6321, -1.4672
Road Details
- Country
- England
- Continent
- europe
- Max Elevation
- 9 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 53.6321, -1.4672
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