The Truth About The Farmer Who Lives In The Middle Of Britain’s M62 Motorway

If you’re traveling on the M62 motorway in Britain between Leeds and Manchester, you may come across an unusual sight: a working sheep farm right in the middle of the road!

The motorway sees over 100,000 motorists each day, according to Motor 1.

It’s one of Britain’s busiest roads, but it also happens to be home to the infamous Stott Hall Farm – a farm that many people hope to see and share on social media when they do:

https://twitter.com/FunSoph/status/739390715856359424

The farm lies between two strips of road, but it was there long before the road was built. The M62 was actually built around the farm, which has sparked many rumors about why it stayed there and why the road was split to accommodate it.

According to a 2017 post in The Sunday Times, a common tale about why the farm remained was that the farmer who owned it refused to move when the M62 was built in the 1960s.

The article explains that the current owner, Paul Thorp, admitted that Ken Wild (who owned the farm in the 1960s) did object to moving the farm and to the motorway being built but authorities would’ve done it anyway.

However, Stott Hall Farm got a lucky break when an engineer found a geological fault beneath the farmhouse, making it so the road couldn’t be built there. It made the most sense to go around the property, rather than through it, allowing the farm to live on.

Paul appeared on episode two of Channel 4’s show The Pennines: Backbone of Britain to talk about life on the farm. Considering its location, it’s easy to assume have face some unique challenges.

The farm is home to Paul and his wife, Jill, along with their son John-William. They care for more than 900 ewes and 20 cattle. Having animals in between two busy motorways proves challenging in that it’s extra noisy and it’s also a much bigger deal when animals escape. If livestock jump onto the road, there’s a risk that they’ll collide with vehicles or the M62 will have to be shut down until the animals are recovered.

Check out the video below: