Reopen the ford, say residents besieged by fast traffic chaos

BUT SOME NOW THINK PROBLEM CAN NEVER BE FULLY RESOLVED

- By JOSEPH CONNOLLY

IT’S been more than two and a half years since Rufford Ford was first closed to the public.

Nottinghamshire County Council took a no-frills approach when the tourist spot blew up in popularity after going viral on the internet.

The concrete barriers they put at either end to block cars are still there today.

Once bustling with onlookers fascinated to see drivers take their chances at crashing through the water, the ford is now a desolate spot, devoid of activity.

That's great news for nearby residents, whose tolerance for the noise and nuisance was stretched to the limit as more and more people lined the streets each weekend before the closure.

But for others it’s been not such a blessing.

Traffic that went through the ford has to go somewhere as residents of Ollerton village quickly found out.

“I think it was quite sudden,” says Chrissy Homer, who lives on Kingstone Drive in Ollerton.

Previously, she'd often use Bescar Lane, a 60mph road once used by farm vehicles, to walk to Rufford.

“Just after the closure, so many people would stop their car next to me as I walked down there and ask if they could get to the golf club this way.”