A house sits slap bang in the middle of the M62. Why is it there?
Of all the places you could choose to live in the UK, right in the middle of the M62 probably wouldn’t be most people’s first choice.
And yet there is a house there, built on one of the most famous farms in the country, located in Rishworth, Yorkshire.
The motorway, which runs west to east, connecting Liverpool with Hull via Manchester, Bradford and Leeds, was built around Stott Hill Farm in the 1960s.
The farm, which is between Huddersfield and Rochdale, sits bang in the middle of the two carriageways of the M62, and with it a very unusually located home.
Legend has it that the owner of the house, Ken Wild, refused to sell the property when the plans were approved for the trans-Peninne motorway.
But a new documentary will shed light on the real reason why there is a house right in the middle of a busy motorway.
Ken lived in the house at the time of the motorway being built with his wife, Beth, and they were surrounded by lots of sheep on the farm.
Myth states that Ken refused to move, forcing engineers to build the motorway around him – but this isn’t actually true, according to a 1983 documentary that’s only just available online.
The ITV documentary, which was made as part of the Clegg’s People series, can now be streamed online along with a number of nostalgic films that are available on the web for the first time.
Many haven’t been seen since they first aired but have now been released as part of the British Film Institute’s (BFI) Britain on Film collection.
The documentary, which is 26 minutes long, is fascinating, partially because viewers will notice how few cars there are on the motorway compared with today.
Ken explains that the motorway was built around the house because a geological fault beneath the farm would have been a huge task to overcome.
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.’
Ken’s father bought the house in 1934, so the Ken and Beth were pleased when they were able to stay there despite the new motorway.
They did have to suddenly deal with lots of cars whizzing by, which Beth said created a lot of cleaning for them.
She said: ‘If it’s dry it’s always dusty. If it’s wet spray goes on the windows.’
But the couple also said there were benefits of the house’s location, including ‘having no neighbours’.
The couple also witnessed a few crashes after the motorway opened, including fatal collisions in which vehicles ended up in the 15-acre plot in the middle of the motorway.
A lorry even ended up crashing into the yard of the farmhouse at 4.20am.
Beth continued: ‘The driver climbed out through the windscreen. He wasn’t hurt at all.’
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