Family who bought house in middle of M62 motorway spoke out about bizarre situation
Every now and again in your walks of life you'll come across a house and think 'how on earth is that still standing and who lives there'.
Sometimes the house looks out of place because it's surrounded on all sides by new developments, while at other times it looks to be the last one standing out of anywhere to live.
If you ever have cause to be driving down the M62 motorway then you might have spotted what looks like a farmhouse perched between the carriageways.
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It's no mirage and nor is it a particularly artisanal service station that's becoming all the rage these days, it's a place called Stott Hall Farm.
You might be wondering who'd build a house in the middle of a motorway but the house was there first, having been constructed in the 18th century before there was any motor to way.
When they finally did get round to building the M62 a geological fault was discovered underneath the farmhouse which meant it wouldn't have been a great place to put a road on, so instead the road went around the farm.
The farmhouse has changed hands a few times but it ended up being owned by Jill Falkingham and Paul Thorp, who told Channel 4 documentary The Pennines: The Backbone of Britain what living in the middle of a motorway was like.
Paul said: “It’s just like any other farm really. You’ve got to know your land, know your job and plan around it. The only thing is, we’ve got six lanes of traffic through ours. It throws up its challenges, it’s very unique.”
On the subject of those challenges it turns out that sheep wandering onto the busy roads is one of the main issues.
They may be woolly but they're very much not jumpers and would be in quite a pickle should they come face to face with an oncoming car.
Paul explained that he's had calls at various times of the day, even in the abominably early ones, telling him that one of his sheep is loose and he needs to go and get it.
He said: "I can’t tell you the number of times it’s happened. My phone will go at 2.00am and it’s somebody from the highways agency.
“‘There’s a sheep on the loose on the motorway - can you go get it?’”
Others have commented on the unique issues of living next to a motorway, with Michael Clegg saying in a documentary for the British Film Institute that the sound is 'relentless' when you're outside but that 'inside it's as peaceful and cosy as any farmhouse'.
Just make sure you don't miss your turn.
Joe Harker