The tale of the house inside the M62
The farm predates the motorway by more than two centuries
19:01, 09 May 2025Updated 19:03, 09 May 2025
Stott Hall Farm(Image: PA)
If you're from the North of England, you have probably discussed the farm in the middle of the M62[1] at some point.
The beloved icon of northern motorway journeys has become such a legendary place among drivers (and bored passengers staring out of the window) that it even has its own Wikipedia page.
The famed landmark between Rochdale[2] and Huddersfield was chosen by 1,000 motorists in an RAC survey as one of the country's most well-known motorway sights in 2007.
The tale of Stott Hall Farm, its real name, is steeped in legend. Built in the 18th century, it's said that Ken Wild, the farm's former owner, stubbornly refused to sell his land during the 1960s when the motorway was being planned.
Consequently, engineers had no choice but to construct the M62 around the property. A rather unconventional solution, indeed.
Despite the persistence of this myth, it has been debunked by Ken, his family, and an ITV documentary, Yorkshire Live reported.[3]
The documentary, a 26-minute piece originally produced in the 1980s and later released online, disclosed that the real reason the motorway encircles the farmhouse is due to a geological fault underneath.
Article continues belowKen's granddaughter, Kimberley Poland, backed up this claim in a chat with Yorkshire Live in 2019. Kimberley, who is now in her mid-20s, reminisced about her idyllic childhood at Stott Hall Farm, where she spent her days feeding lambs and playing in the fields while drivers looked on in wonder.
Traffic on the M62 passes Stott Hall farm near Booth Wood in West Yorkshire(Image: PA)
"It was just a normal life for me," she expressed. "I was more interested in looking after the baby lambs. To me it was just a place I spent time growing up - it was just my granddad's house.
It never struck me as being unusual because I grew up there.
"Inside it was quite old fashioned with large rooms. The living room had wooden beams and family photos and lots of certificates, rosettes and trophies. It was a typical farmhouse.
"It had stone floors and dark furniture.
There was a big open fire and all the rooms were fairly large. You had to mind your head walking through every room, which my dad found out pretty quickly!".
Access to the farmhouse is quite unique, as you'd need to traverse an underpass that's reachable via a lane off the A672 near Booth Wood Reservoir in Ripponden. Kimberley recalls, however, that this wasn't always the safest path: "When they were building the motorway my mum used to go through the underpass to get to school," she noted.
Adding a slice of history, she said: "My granddad put the rams into the underpass and closed the gates.
Mum and her friend were too scared to go through the underpass because they were terrified of the rams - so they decided to run over the motorway instead."
Kimberley with her granddad Ken in the living room at Stott Hall Farm (Image: Kimberley Pollard)
Regarding the livestock, she remarked: "My granddad won a trophy for the best hill-bred ram. They were terrifying." These days, Jill Falkingham-Thorp and her household have taken up residence in the rustic farmhouse.
She observes that despite the close proximity to one of the UK's busiest motorways, life there isn't that different from living near any other road.
"Traffic is very close. We have treble glazing and it's no different to living anywhere that has a road," Jill said.
However, due to the windy conditions, there are no concerns about the pollution.
She said: "It's always windy here, which takes the pollution away.
Students from the University of Huddersfield took soil and air samples and actually pollution is surprisingly low.
Article continues belowJill, who has resided at Stott Hall Farm for a decade, also remarked: "A lot of people say it's bleak and like Wuthering Heights but I don't see it like that - I think it's beautiful."