Stott Hall Farm

Peter McDermott (CC BY-SA 2.0)

If you drive along the M62 motorway, on the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire, between junctions 22 and 23, you’ll be greeted with an unusual sight: a farm in the middle of the motorway, sandwiched by multi-lane roads on both sides.

When the M62 was built on the moors above Huddersfield in the late 1960s, the engineers forked the road to avoid the centuries-old farmhouse, known as Stott Hall Farm. With millions of motorists driving by, it quickly became a local curiosity and source of intrigue—one radio commentator dubbed it “Little House on the Prairie.” A common story is that the previous owner, Ken Wild, refused to sell his land. In fact, the engineers diverted the roadway due to a geological fault beneath the farm.

Wondering how the owners get in and out? The farmers have private access via an underpass. The farm also has fences to keep livestock in, trees strategically placed to offer some privacy, and triple-glazed windows to keep the noise to a hum inside the house. And while it is surrounded by motorways, the farm has joined environmental and sustainability initiatives, such as providing habitat for key bird species and restoring peatland bog to lock away carbon and help fight climate change.

Know Before You Go

You can't stop at the house or on any part of the motorway, but it is clearly visible, particularly from the westbound direction. If you come in eastbound, keep an eye out for grazing sheep.

The best place for a more leisurely view is to take the A672 to a lay-by adjacent to the car park for the Booth Wood Reservoir, where you'll get a side view of the farm and the lorries thundering past.

Half a mile down Moselden Lane, you'll get a good view of the base of the reservoir, and if you're curious, you can carry on to the entrance to the private road that leads under the motorway to the farm. Other than a pair of locked gates, there's not much to see. It's a narrow road and a working farm, so please respect the privacy of the owners and do not block entrances. It's better to walk.