The wetter the

Everybody loves a bit of water. Whatever kind of 4x4 you drive, anything from a big puddle to a bonnet-deep flood is capable of bringing out the big kid in all of us. And wherever you go in Britain, you’re never far from a chance to play. There are more than a thousand fords on Britain’s roads, ranging from tiny seasonal splashes to epic coastal crossings which disappear beneath several feet of water at every high tide. Some are on surprisingly major routes, while others appear as a welcome surprise on little-used green lanes.

Warwickshire

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An unclassified county road crosses the River Alne between Great Alne and Aston Cantlow – via a brute of a ford that’s long and deep and, in places, overgrown. Oh, and as you plough forward with water foaming up around your wing-tops, you won’t actually be able to see the way out until you’re well into the middle of the crossing.

Devon

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This is not so much a ford as a tidal road. It even says as much on the OS map. At low tide, it’s just a concrete ribbon along the coastline and across an inlet in the Avon estuary, with a tell-tale line of poles either side of it to keep you on track once the water starts coming in. And when the water does start coming in, get ready for a treat. If you want windscreen-deep wading,

Of course, really deep wading is incredibly bad for your vehicle. You can prepare it for action with a snorkel and raised breathers, but the sensible thing to do is to stay well clear.

But where’s the fun in being sensible? There’s a reason why you’re reading 4x4 magazine right now, after all, and not What Car? And that’s the reason why our guide to 25 of the most interesting fords in the country should get you reaching for the WD40 and planning to take your truck out for a swim… you got it… though of course the water glugging and lapping around your chassis will be laden with salt, so this really would be a uniquely reckless way to get your kicks.

Gloucestershire

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Not what you expect in the middle of a bustling tourist trap like Bourton, but as well as Birdland, a maze and a model village, this picture-perfect

Northumberland

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Aside from fords which actually take you along the river bed, this has to be one of the longest in Britain. It doesn’t so much cross the River Breamish as its entire floodplain, which in summer is a twisted field of stones and gravel. When it’s been raining and the water level has taken a hike, the only thing you’re crossing it in is your dreams.

Hampshire

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You don’t expect to find a ford in the genteel surroundings of Brockenhurst. But here into the heart of the New Forest, traffic routinely splashes through a small tributary of the River Lymington at the end of a wealthy town centre road full of nice cafes, estate agents and art galleries. It’s not normally enough to stop your average Audi hatchback or Porsche convertible, let alone any kind of 4x4. But when the level rises after a lot of rain, it becomes a lot more interesting – and you’ll have the added entertainment of doing it while local children watch in delight and their parents look on disapprovingly.

Berkshire

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An enormously famous ford, and an absolute favourite among people wanting to destroy their posh BMW and Lexus saloons, this stands at the junction of two C-roads as they meet at the River Pang. One result of this is that there are two exits to the north; either way, a smooth concrete bottom means the only problem you’ll face is through sheer depth of water – which, at times, Bucklebury provides in abundance. As an added attraction, there are loads of byways around here – one of which also fords the river, just a short way to the north-west.

Shropshire

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Both ends of this green lane look from the road like simple unmade tracks. Halfway along its length, however, when approaching from the south it passes beneath a disused railway bridge then abruptly lurches into a side slope which, most of the time, has a healthy stream of water running along it. That’s just the appetiser, though; when you get to the river itself, it’s a deep, wide plunge – through a pool of water whose exit on the north bank is uneven enough to pose a real challenge

Denbighshire

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The name says it all. Near the lively little town of Corwen (which, conveniently, is close to the western end of the epic Wayfarer green lane), an unclassified road crosses the Afon Alwen via a wide, deep ford which has become a legend among off-roaders. So much so that there have been reports of people lacing the bed with barbed wire; a very fine argument in favour of eugenics.

Hertfordshire

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An absolute legend among fords, this is a narrow, sunken, unsurfaced road that runs along a seasonal stream bed. In the summer, it’s simply a green lane with a few puddles, albeit big ones; after plenty of rain, on the other hand, it’s a windscreen-deep chicken run for the best part of a mile. Catch it at its best, and you won’t believe your eyes – but uness your vehicle is diesel engined, snorkel-equipped and breathered to the nines, you also won’t believe what a bad idea it was to poke this big, big beast..

Powys

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With there being so many big, long lanes in the area, this shortish track west of Llangammarch Wells is easy to overlook on a map. But right at its southern end, it crosses the River Irfon via a colossus of a ford. It’s wide enough to be get you going – and that’s before you discover how deep it is. Even when the water level is low, it’ll be bubbling up to the top of your bonnet – and when it’s high, if you’re foolhardy enough to take a risk you’re apt to join the long list of 4x4 drivers whose pride and joy has ended up taking a one-way trip downstream.

Northumberland

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Normally, this is just a simple concrete-bottomed ford through the Wooler Water, just south of Wooler itself. When the river’s in spate, though – well, there’s a reason why the footbridge next to it is so high. And if you’re not convinced, just check out the size of the boulders the river has carried there. Oh yes, and immediately downstream of the ford the river goes over a sheer waterfall. Not to be trifled with.

Northumberland

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This is a shortish but quite deep river crossing on a byway near Alnwick. There’s an easy rule of thumb about gauging the depth of the water before you cross – if you can’t see the stepping stones on the downstream side (which, somehow, are marked on the OS map), drive it at your own risk…

Wiltshire ST 851 372

This ford is, quite simply, an absolute colossus. Hidden away on an unclassified road, it’s long, wide and deep – even in dry weather, you’ll get a bow wave going. In the winter, meantime, it can pose a challenge even for vehicles with snorkels. A beauty.

Lancashire

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East of Garstang, Wyre Lane becomes, well, just the Wyre. When you get to the river, the track feels more like a sliproad – it simply disappears into the water, with no obvious sign of an exit opposite. That’s because Lingart Lane appears about 150 yards further south – to cross, you need to follow the river bed all the way, using your judgement, experience, luck, power of prayer or cheerful idiocy to keep you out of the deep bits. On the subject of which, while the river is fordably shallow most of the time, its level can rise dramatically – if the concrete apron at the base of the footbridge is under the surface, bashing on regardless is asking for trouble.

Hampshire

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Half a mile from the M3, you come to the spread-out, low-lying village of North Warnborough. Following the road through tightly packed cottages, you cross a wide open field which leads you to a deep but quiet ford. Within a

Cynghordy Llandovery

Carmarthenshire, SA20 0NB

Tel: 01550 750274 e-mail: info@cambrianway.com www.cambrianway.com

Family run guest house and self catering cottages with spectacular views, en-suite bedrooms, comfortable lounge bar and excellent home cooked food.

Pressure washer, drying room, map room with local lanes marked, on-site 4x4 course, guides and GPS hire available.

A very popular venue for both individuals and groups of 4x4 enthusiasts

Shropshire

SO 558 843

Often known simply as Clee St Margaret, this is one of those epic fording experiences where rather than crossing a river, the lane simply runs along it. It takes quite a lot for it to become deep – but when it does, the deep, sunken trough you’re passing along means it’ll be very deep indeed, not to mention fast-moving. Once you’re out of the water, at its western end the lane crosses the corner of a field before passing alongside a group of farm buildings; at its eastern end, meanwhile, in the centre of the village there’s a tarmac road which also has a river running along it

North Yorkshire

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There in one, here. The River Rib is normally a quiet looking babbling brook, but once it starts to rise it turns into a deep, fast-moving torrent. The tiny village of Latchford is accessed by two fords; the one in the main picture, would you believe, is the shallower of the two…

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…while the one to the south of the village is yet deeper. Even when the water level is low, this route in to Latchford is pretty gnarly, with a steep, sharp lip as you drop into the water. There’s a proper gravel surface on either side of the at Latchford, the road to Much Hadham (where yet more ford fun awaits) swings across a wide, firmbased ford. It’s nothing like as deep, but being on a sharp corner means there’s still plenty of opportunity to make a complete fool of yourself…

201 crossing, too. The crossing is via a natural pool, so it doesn’t get as fast-moving as the northern ford, but you’ll never cross here without hitting some serious depth.

This ford is something special for a number of reasons. One, it’s accessed via a green lane that’ll actually get you into low box, Two, it’s overlooked by a soaring viaduct on the famous North York Moors Railway. And three, if you cut the corner as you cross the river you’re going to sink. Assuming you manage not to fall into the latter trap, just to the west of here is Egton Bank, another nice lane with a deceptive ford halfway along it. This time, it’s the presence of a trough near the eastern bank of the river which, for a moment, will fill your entire field of vision with nothing but water.

SN 806 608 even in the days before the rights in a long, deep wade along the favourite remaining green lane. In fact, it probably held that honour of way network was decimated by a succession of corrupt and/or dishonest local and national governments. It’s a fearsome, wonderful monster of a trail, challenging and beautiful in equal measure – and it features a series of fords which, travelling from the west, culminate river bed at the confluence of two streams. already led to calls for the lane to

Much as this may make it sound like a playground for carefree fun, Strata Florida does need to be respected. When the water’s high, it has enough force to sweep a vehicle away – a fact that came home to roost in tragic fashion some 15 years ago when a teenage girl died aboard a Discovery whose driver chanced it while the river was in flood.

You need to show the other kind of respect, too, by sticking to the right of way and not leaving it to play in the river – something which happens all too frequently and has be closed. As if you need to do a thing like that to get your kicks on a trail which, even when the weather’s dry, is pure heaven for wet laning.

Hertfordshire

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A welcome surprise in the unpromising setting of Hertfordshire’s thronging commuter belt, this is a brace of wide, scenic fords crossing branches of the River Ver. There’s an old mill next to the bigger of the two, which means that at weekends you’re likely to have an audience of families.

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Halfway along a wide. gravelled track north-west of Dolanog, without warning the right of way strikes out to the north and starts to drop down a steepening hillside. At the bottom, it comes to an impressively wide ford whose stony surface means picking your route is all important. A few miles downstream from the dam holding back Lake Vyrnwy, its depth is well regulated and rarely varies – but there’s still a challenge here, because the climb up the far bank when travelling from the south is steep and very uneven, with a slippery axle twister that will put your technique to the test.

Somerset

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This river crossing would make it on to anyone’s A-list. Running alongside a

Cumbria

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Two very different fords for the price of one – with a nice unsurfaced road thrown in for good measure. Best taken from east to west, the track first crosses a wide, shallow expanse of water before making landfall. But a few yards on, you come to the main event – a seriously deep, fast-moving stream which after heavy rain becomes impassable to anyone with a brain. At any rate, it’s impassable to all vehicles between 1 October and 31 May, as the route is subject to a seasonal TRO.

Towards the southern end of a lengthy but quite straightforward gravel track, this sizeable ford appears out of nowhere. It’s deep at the best of times – hit it after a lot of rain, and without a snorkel you’ll be thinking more than twice.

Northumberland

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It may be shallowish and smooth bottomed but this picturesque route across the River Coquet, just a mile or so before it becomes tidal, is something very special. It runs across the top of a weir, below which there’ll often be children playing in the water, and to add to the fun it gives out on to a byway, albeit one suitable for everyday cars.