M6 is said to be Britain's most haunted road
The M6, also known as the backbone of Britain, is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom and one of the busiest. At the same time, the six-lane-wide road is named Britain's most haunted road. It's one of the Top Haunted Roads in the world.
Is the M6 the longest motorway in the UK?
The road is totally paved. It’s 375km (233 miles) long, running south-north from junction 19 of the M1 near Rugby (a market town in eastern Warwickshire in central England), to the north of Carlisle, close to the Scottish border. Part of a motorway known as the "Backbone of Britain" - running between London and Glasgow - it’s the longest motorway in the UK.
When was M6 Motorway in England open?
The first section of the motorway was opened by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on 5 December 1958.
Is M6 haunted?
Spanning over 230 miles in length, the road has been found to be the most haunted road (or reputedly so) in Britain, with drivers reporting all sorts of strange goings-on that have left them spooked. It has recorded more alleged sightings and spine-tingling feelings than any other route in the country. Roman soldiers, a distraught woman hitchhiker, ghost cars that look like they’ve just been in a serious collision, and a phantom lorry going the wrong way have all appeared on the six busy lanes - or out of their users' imaginations. These tales have been perpetuated through word of mouth, internet forums, and paranormal websites, but there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of ghosts or supernatural phenomena on the M6 or any other road.
What is the Phantom Hitchhiker?
One urban legend associated with the M6 is the story of the "Phantom Hitchhiker," where drivers report picking up a mysterious hitchhiker along the motorway who suddenly disappears from the vehicle without a trace. Other stories involve sightings of ghostly figures or unexplained apparitions along the road, particularly in remote or desolate areas.
Roman soldiers marching on the road?
Part of the route has existed for nearly 2,000 years, having been used by Roman soldiers during the Roman occupation of England in 55 BC, so it’s no wonder the M6 boasts its fair share of spooks. While some say that they have witnessed Roman soldiers either walking or marching up and down the road, others say that they have driven past a troubled woman who is constantly asking for a ride and a phantom lorry driving the wrong way along the carriageway.