Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Jim Waterson

TikTok car-fishing craze leads to closure of ancient Rufford ford

Land Rover crosses Rufford ford
‘Why are you going to put your car in that?’: Rufford ford. Photograph: Transportimage Picture Library/Alamy

Deep in the English countryside is an ancient river crossing that has been used, in various forms, for at least 1,000 years. It featured in the Domesday Book, attracted Cistercian monks who built an abbey nearby, and more recently served as a handy shortcut for Nottinghamshire commuters. But Rufford ford has now been closed, after clips of cars driving through it attracted hundreds of millions of views on TikTok.

“That ford has been there since Adam was a lad,” said Neil Clarke, a local councillor. He decided to close the crossing this month after requests from the fire and police services, who were unable to cope with a small rural lane becoming one of the most famous roads in the world.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.