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 myth behind the house on the M62
Set in the West Yorkshire countryside, Stott Hall farm is steeped in myths and speculation. One rumour 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
There is an ITV documentary from 1983 that dispels the 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 definitely a more controversial one, but still, the reality is quite interesting also.
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 apparently shows the farmer as a smiley chap with a Lancashire accent rather than the stubborn farmer that the myth portrays him.
Watch a clip 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)
