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] Although the farmhouse itself is about only 30 metres (98 ft) from the motorway, joining the motorway requires drive of some 3.7 miles (6.0 km) via the A672.[ citation needed ] 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".
