We’ve all been guilty of it. Driving in our car on a road trip along the motorway and spotting the mysterious house that is in the middle of the M62, splitting it in half. Asking the same questions… Does someone live there? Why is it sitting in the middle of a motorway? Rumours surround the iconic farmhouse about why it’s there.
To this day today, thousands of drivers whizz past this farmhouse and thunder past the property, the farm provokes a feeling of interest and intrigue. The M62 is the home to the highest motorway in England and is a lonely and dangerous place when the weather is blowing a gale, so the idea that someone lives up there in the first place is impressive. But, the fact that someone does live up on the farm in the middle of the M62 is impressive, so much so that myths and legends have been created about the area.
But, what are the myths behind the house on the M62?
Set in the West Yorkshire countryside, the house on the M62 is actually named Stott Hall Farm and is steeped in myths and speculation. One of the rumours on the old rumour mill – and probably the most known of all of the made-up stories surrounding this once isolated farm that everyone seems to accept is that the farmer Ken Wild, whose father bought the farm in 1934, refused to sell the land when plans for the motorway were approved.
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The real reason it is there
An ITV documentary from 1983 dispels the house on the M62 myth that has made so much sense over the years. It revealed the real reason that Ken and his wife were allowed to stay in the house, and it was due to a geological fault, according to Examiner Live.
Building on the fault on the 15 acres would have been a huge effort, so the motorway was just built around the farm instead and the two carriageways were split. The other story is a more controversial one, but still, the reality is quite interesting.
As journalist Michael Clegg says: “A geological fault beneath the farmhouse meant it was more practical for engineers to leave it rather than blast through and destroy it… Outside the noise is relentless but inside it’s as peaceful and cosy as any farmhouse.”
The 26-minute documentary shows the farmer as a smiley chap with a Lancashire accent rather than the stubborn farmer that the myth portrays him.
So, there you have it. Instead of a myth of a stoic Yorkshireman sticking it to the man and defying them forcing them to build the M62 motorway around his house. It’s a story of geographical issues, which doesn’t sound as salacious when gathered around with friends regaling tales over a pint of ale. Either way, we’ll still be telling the tale for years to come, because it’s what’s life without a little bit of colour to story.
Watch a clip about the house on the M62 from the documentary below:
Now you have learnt the real truth behind the house in the middle of the M62, go forth and share this pub ammo, and sit smugly enjoying your newfound knowledge.
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Feature Image Credit: Photo © Peter McDermott (cc-by-sa/2.0)
