Stott Hall Farm

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Stott Hall Farm, viewed from moorland above westbound carriageway of the M62 motorway Stott Hall Farm (crop).JPG
Stott Hall Farm, viewed from moorland above westbound carriageway of the M62 motorway

Stott Hall Farm is a farm located between the eastbound and westbound carriageways of the M62 motorway in Calderdale, England. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] It is the only farm in the UK situated in the middle of a motorway [7] and was built in the 18th century on Moss Moor. It lies south of Booth Wood Reservoir where the carriageways are separated between junctions 22 and 23. [8] [9] [10] The road divides for much of its length between the Windy Hill and Deanhead cuttings because of the surrounding geography; but a myth [11] persists that it was split because Ken and Beth Wild refused to sell. [9] However, the farm was actually owned by Yorkshire Water at the time the M62 was built. [12]

Sally Boazman, BBC Radio 2's traffic reporter and CB radio users nicknamed it the Little House on the Prairie. It is separated from the motorway by crash barriers and a fence to keep livestock in and prevent out-of-control vehicles crashing onto the property. [8] [13] It is one of the ten best-known sights on the motorway network. [14] [13] It was the subject of a BBC Radio 4 documentary, a Yorkshire Television documentary [15] and a short film. [16] It is referenced, though not by name, in the John Shuttleworth song titled "The Man Who Lives on the M62".

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References

  1. "The man in the middle!". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  2. "Life between the lanes: inside Yorkshire's motorway farm". The Guardian. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  3. Lavender, Jane; Howarth, Rachel (2 January 2021). "Owners of house in the middle of the M62 tell the true story behind it". LancsLive. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  4. Cole, Laura. "Stuck in the middle - Geographical Magazine". geographical.co.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  5. McCoid, Sophie; Lavender, Jane (28 December 2020). "Owners of the house on the M62 explain true story behind it". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  6. Grieveson-Smith, Jess (7 February 2022). "Fascinating truth behind story of the house in the middle of the M62". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  7. Jennings, Ken (21 April 2014). "The Only Farm in the UK in the Middle of a Highway". Condé Nast Traveler . Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Farming in the fast lane". BBC. 2 February 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
  9. 1 2 "Life in the Fast Lane". BBC West Yorkshire. 24 May 2002. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  10. "Motorways M60 to M69 – Most viewed". Photo gallery. SABRE. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  11. "Farming in the fast lane". BBC Manchester. 2 February 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  12. Jones, Craig; Ballinger, Lauren (3 July 2019). "This is the actual story behind that house in the middle of the M62". Leeds Live. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  13. 1 2 "The man in the middle!". 2 November 2006. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  14. "Spaghetti Junction is top sight". BBC West Midlands. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  15. Michael Clegg (1983). "The Farm on the Motorway". Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  16. Walker, Rowan (30 November 2008). "Farmhouse Island on M62: the Movie". The Observer. London.

53°38′28″N1°57′07″W / 53.641°N 1.952°W / 53.641; -1.952