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Ford (crossing)
 
 
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A ford is a place in a watercourse
Watercourse

A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, brooks, anabranches et cetera....
 (most commonly a stream or river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading, on horse
Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
back, or in a wheeled vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing
Low water crossing

A low water crossing provides a bridge when water flow is low. Under high flow conditions, water runs over the roadway and precludes vehicular traffic....
, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.

The names of many towns and villages are derived from the word 'ford', for example Oxford
Oxford

Oxford is a City status in the United Kingdom, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. It has a population of 151,000. The rivers River Cherwell and River Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre....
 (a ford where ox
Ox

Oxen are bovinae trained as draught animals. Often they are adult, castration males. Oxen are used for ploughing, transport, hauling cargo, threshing grain by trampling, powering machines for grinding grain, irrigation or other purposes, and drawing carts and wagons....
en crossed the river: see the Oxford coat of arms), or Stratford
Stratford

Stratford is a place name found in many English-speaking countries. It derives from the Old English words str?t and ford . A variant of the name is "Stretford"....
 (a ford on a Roman road
Roman road

The Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move Military history of ancient Rome and Roman commerce goods and to communicate news....
).






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A ford is a place in a watercourse
Watercourse

A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, brooks, anabranches et cetera....
 (most commonly a stream or river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading, on horse
Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
back, or in a wheeled vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing
Low water crossing

A low water crossing provides a bridge when water flow is low. Under high flow conditions, water runs over the roadway and precludes vehicular traffic....
, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.

The names of many towns and villages are derived from the word 'ford', for example Oxford
Oxford

Oxford is a City status in the United Kingdom, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. It has a population of 151,000. The rivers River Cherwell and River Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre....
 (a ford where ox
Ox

Oxen are bovinae trained as draught animals. Often they are adult, castration males. Oxen are used for ploughing, transport, hauling cargo, threshing grain by trampling, powering machines for grinding grain, irrigation or other purposes, and drawing carts and wagons....
en crossed the river: see the Oxford coat of arms), or Stratford
Stratford

Stratford is a place name found in many English-speaking countries. It derives from the Old English words str?t and ford . A variant of the name is "Stretford"....
 (a ford on a Roman road
Roman road

The Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move Military history of ancient Rome and Roman commerce goods and to communicate news....
). Similarly, the German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
 word Furt (as in Frankfurt
Frankfurt

is the largest city in the German States of Germany of Hesse and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000....
 and Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt am W?rthersee is the capital of the federal state of Carinthia in Austria. With a population of over 90,000 it is the sixth-largest city in the country....
) and the Dutch
Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic languages spoken by over 22 million people as a first language, and about 5 million people as a second language."1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language speakers of Dutch is very small. Most native...
 voorde, (as in Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde

Vilvoorde is a Belgium Municipalities in Belgium in the Flemish Region Provinces of Belgium of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Konigslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie....
, Coevorden
Coevorden

Coevorden is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands. During the municipal reorganisation in the province in 1998, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo....
, Zandvoort
Zandvoort

Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes....
, or Amersfoort
Amersfoort

Media:Nl-Amersfoort.ogg is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly and has a well-preserved medieval core....
) are cognate
Cognate

Cognates in linguistics are words that have a common etymology origin.An example of cognates within the same language would be English shirt vs....
s and have the same meaning. Towns such as Maastricht
Maastricht

Maastricht is a city and a municipality in the Netherlands province of Limburg , of which it is the Capital . The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse River river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, near the Belgium and Germany borders....
, Dordrecht
Dordrecht

Media:Nl-Dordrecht.ogg , in English Dort and in the local dialect Dordt, is a city and municipality in the Netherlands province of South Holland, the third largest city of the province....
, and Utrecht
Utrecht (city)

Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands province of Utrecht . It is located in the North-Eastern end of the Randstad, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands, with a population of 300,030....
 also formed at fords but the ending tricht, drecht, or trecht is derived from the Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 word traiectum, meaning "crossing". Similarly, in Slavic languages, word brod
Brod

Brod is a common Slavic languages toponym, meaning ford . In English it is sometimes written Brood. It may refer to the following:In Bulgaria:...
 comes from the linguistic root that means "river-crossing" or "place where river can be crossed". Although today "brod" in Croatian language literally means "ship", Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod

Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 61,823 in 2001. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934....
 in Croatia, as well as Makedonski Brod
Makedonski Brod

Makedonski Brod is a town in the central part of the country, on the south-eastern part of Suva Gora, western Karad?ica and south-western Dautica mountains....
 in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia

The Republic of Macedonia , , often referred to simply as Macedonia, is a landlocked country on the Balkans in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west....
 and other place names containing "Brod" in Slavic countries are named after fords.

Description

A ford is a much cheaper form of river-crossing than a bridge
Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, Rail tracks, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle....
 but it may become impassable after heavy rain or during flood condition. A ford is therefore normally only suitable today for very minor roads. Most modern fords are shallow enough to be crossed by car
Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
s and other wheeled or tracked vehicles (a process known, fittingly, as "fording"). The problem about fords is that they overflow in wet weather. (see right).

St Berberfamily
At localities where the water is shallow enough, but the material on the riverbed will not support heavy vehicles, fords are sometimes improved by the provision of a submerged concrete
Concrete

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, construction aggregate , water , and Chemistry admixtures....
 floor. In such cases a curb
Curb (road)

A curb or kerb is the edge where a raised sidewalk, road median, or road shoulder meets an unraised street or other roadway. Typically made from concrete, asphalt, or long Rock s , the purpose is twofold: first as a Street gutter for proper drainage of the roadway, and second for safety, to keep motorists from driving onto the shoulder...
 is often placed on the downstream side to prevent vehicles slipping off, as growth of algae
Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds....
 will often make the slab very slippery.

Watersplash

A road running below the water level of a stream or river is often known as a "watersplash". It is a common name for a ford or stretch of wet road in some areas, and sometimes also used to describe tidal crossings. They have become a common feature in rallying
Rallying

Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars....
 courses. There are enthusiasts who seek out and drive through these water features recording details such as wave created, position and access on dedicated websites.

There are many old fords known as watersplashes in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, examples are at Brockenhurst
Brockenhurst

Brockenhurst is a village situated in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The New Forest is a national park and Brockenhurst is therefore surrounded by woodland that attracts thousands of visitors all year around....
 in Hampshire
Hampshire

Hampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a Counties of England on the south coast of England....
, Wookey
Wookey

Wookey is a village and civil parish of Wells, on the River Axe, Somerset in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. It is perhaps best known today for the nearby Wookey Hole Caves....
 in Somerset
Somerset

Somerset is a Counties of England in South West England. The county town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county. The Ceremonial counties of England of Somerset borders the counties of Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west....
 and Swinbrook
Swinbrook

Swinbrook is a Cotswolds village located a few miles from Burford in the England county of Oxfordshire. .Its church, sporting an unusual open-sided bell-tower, is famous for its 17th century Fettiplace Church monument....
 in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the South East England region, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire....
. Some of these are being replaced by bridges as these are considered to be a more reliable form of crossing in adverse weather conditions.

The Dean Ford in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,170. It is roughly equidistant between Glasgow and Ayr, and is the second largest town in Ayrshire....
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire

Ayrshire is a registration county, and former counties of Scotland in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine, North Ayrshire....
, is significant as it is specifically mentioned in the deed
Deed

A deed is a legal instrument used to grant a right. Deeds are part of the broader category of documents under seal. Deeds can be described as contract-like, as they require the mutual agreement of more than one person....
s of this property, which was gifted to the local people. The ford has had to be maintained as a property boundary feature, despite several cars a year being washed away.

Not just a British phenomenon, some very spectacular versions of the watersplash feature can be found in diverse locations. Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 has the Gulf Savannah, and others may be found in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
, South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 and Finland
Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
. They are also found on some Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
 backroads, where they are referred to as "underwater bridges". Indiana State Road 7
Indiana State Road 7

State Road 7 in the U.S. State of Indiana is located in southeast Indiana. It runs from northwest-to-southeast connecting the cities of Columbus, Indiana and Madison, Indiana....
 has such a ford near Dupont, Indiana
Dupont, Indiana

Dupont is a town in Lancaster Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, Jefferson County, Indiana, Indiana, United States. The population was 392 at the 2000 census....
. It was an important location in Morgan's Raid
Morgan's Raid

Morgan's Raid was a highly publicized incursion by Confederate States Army cavalry into the Northern United States states of Indiana and Ohio during the American Civil War....
.

Famous battles

Because in historic times a ford was often a strategic military point, many famous battles were fought at or near fords.
  • Battle of Jacob's Ford
    Battle of Jacob's Ford

    Jerusalem has been and is considered by many to be one of the holiest cities in the world. For this reason, Christians and Muslims fought for control of the Holy City over several centuries....
    , 1179
  • Battle of Imjin River
    Battle of Imjin River (1592)

    The Battle of Imjin River was a battle during the Japanese invasions of Korea . It resulted in a Japanese victory....
    , 1592
  • Battle of the Yellow Ford
    Battle of the Yellow Ford

    The Battle of the Yellow Ford was fought in western County Armagh, Ulster, in Ireland, near the River Blackwater, Northern Ireland on 14 August 1598, during the Nine Years War ....
    , 1598
  • Battle of Newburn Ford
    Battle of Newburn

    The Battle of Newburn was fought on 28 August 1640 during the Bishops' Wars #Second Bishops' War between a Scottish Covenanter army led by Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven and English royalist forces commanded by Edward Conway, 2nd Viscount Conway....
    , 1640
  • Battle of the Boyne
    Battle of the Boyne

    The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thrones - the Catholic James II of England and the Protestant William III of England, who had Glorious revolution....
    , 1690
  • Battle of Matson's Ford
    Battle of Matson's Ford

    }|-||}The Battle of Matson's Ford was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on December 11, 1777 in the area surrounding Matson's Ford ....
    , 1777
  • Battle of Brandywine
    Battle of Brandywine

    }|-||}The Battle of Brandywine was a battle of the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 11, 1777, in the area surrounding Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania....
    , 1777
  • Battle of Minisink
    Battle of Minisink

    }|-||}The Battle of Minisink was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought at Minisink Ford, New York, on July 22, 1779. It was the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley....
    , 1779
  • Battle of Cowan's Ford
    Battle of Cowan's Ford

    The Battle of Cowan's Ford was a battle in the Southern Theater of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis's 1780-1782 Campaign that eventually led to the British Army's surrender at Siege of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War....
    , 1781
  • Battle of Assaye
    Battle of Assaye

    The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company....
    , 1803
  • Battle of Blackburn's Ford
    Battle of Blackburn's Ford

    The Battle of Blackburn's Ford took place on July 18, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia and Fairfax County, Virginia, as part of the Manassas Campaign of the American Civil War....
    , 1861
  • Battle of Kelly's Ford
    Battle of Kelly's Ford

    The Battle of Kelly's Ford, also known as the Battle of Kellysville, took place on March 17, 1863, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the cavalry operations along the Rappahannock River during the American Civil War....
    , 1863
  • Battle of Buffington Island
    Battle of Buffington Island

    The Battle of Buffington Island, also known as the St. Georges Creek Skirmish, was an American Civil War engagement in Meigs County, Ohio, on July 19, 1863, during Morgan's Raid....
    , 1863
  • Battle of Byram's Ford
    Battle of Byram's Ford

    The Battle of Byram's Ford was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on October 22-October 23, 1864 in Jackson County, Missouri.Maj. Gen....
    , 1864
  • Battle of Morton's Ford
    Battle of Morton's Ford

    The Battle of Morton's Ford was a battle of the American Civil War, fought February 6–February 7, 1864.To distract attention from a planned cavalry-infantry raid up the Virginia Peninsula on Richmond, Virginia, the Union army Army of the Potomac forced several crossings of the Rapidan River on February 6, 1864....
    , 1864
  • Battle of Cut Knife
    Battle of Cut Knife

    The Battle of Cut Knife, fought on May 2, 1885, occurred when a small force of Cree and Assiniboine warriors were attacked by a flying column of Royal Canadian Mounted Police, militia, and Canada army regulars....
    , 1885
  • The Defence of Duffer's Drift
    The Defence of Duffer's Drift

    The Defence of Duffer's Drift was written by Ernest Dunlop Swinton in the April 1905 edition of the Journal of the United States Infantry Association....
    , 1900


See also

  • Causeway
    Causeway

    In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated on a sandbank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. A transport corridor that is carried instead on a series of arches, perhaps approaching a bridge, is a viaduct....
  • Drift
    Drift

    Drift is a slow change and may refer specifically to:In the literal sense of a change in position of a body:*Drifting , which is a sport where drivers intentionally induce oversteer, to be judged on their technique...
  • Step-stone bridge
    Step-stone bridge

    A step-stone bridge is a simple means for a pedestrian to cross a watercourse during periods of low flow while keeping feet and footwear dry. This type, along with the log bridge are likely the oldest bridge types....
  • Low water crossing
    Low water crossing

    A low water crossing provides a bridge when water flow is low. Under high flow conditions, water runs over the roadway and precludes vehicular traffic....


External links