Up close, Stott Hall Farm looks every bit the classic countryside farmhouse, complete with quaint stone walls and a cosy hearth straight out of a storybook. Listen closely, however, and you'll hear not the gentle lowing of cows, but the fierce roar of the M62, which splits and loops around the one-of-a-kind family home on either side, before merging once more a few miles on. The motorway, which links Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, is in complete juxtaposition to the old-world charm of Stott Hall Farm, which has become somewhat of a landmark for those travelling around the North of England.
Naturally, the house has raised some questions, with many baffled as to why anyone would choose to live sandwiched in the middle of the motorway, regardless of how pretty the property may be. Over the years, legends have spread between northern travellers as to the origins of the home, and one in particular has taken root in the public imagination. It's long been widely believed that farm owner Ken Wild had point blank refused to sell up after plans for the six-lane carriageway were drawn up in the 1960s, with the makeshift island built as a compromise and tribute to his stubborn nature.
However, this version of events isn't exactly true, and the owners themselves have previously explained the reasoning behind this well-loved geographical quirk...
Ken was living there at the time with his wife, Beth, and their flock of sheep. But rather than being a rebel who was taking a stand, Ken was n.