A family-run caravan site in the historic Warwickshire village of Ratley has celebrated a successful first summer of operations after securing £250,000 in funding from Clydesdale Bank earlier this year.

Nestled upon the Warwickshire / Oxfordshire border and with the serene countryside of the Cotswolds on its doorstep, Mount Farm Park, run by Fergus and Maxine White (pictured below), is surrounded by beautiful views in an area with a rich heritage.

A new chapter:

Two years ago, Fergus White decided to leave his family farm business to set up on his own, splitting out of a well-regarded farming partnership in Southam, to move further down the county. Fergus said: “Knowing the farming industry from a young age, I knew it would be difficult to get set up and compete in the industry. So, I looked elsewhere to diversify, and the tourism industry presented a wonderful opportunity.”

With the support of Justin Hayward, Agribusiness Relationship Manager at Clydesdale Bank (pictured below left), Fergus was able to put in an offer for a camping site, which later became Mount Farm Park. Now the business, which operates all year round and welcomes touring caravans, motorhomes, campervans and tents, provides guests with a stunning location to camp and has been well received by visitors.

Diversifying the local land:

Mount Farm Park is providing a service to the village of Ratley by boosting the area’s tourism economy. More visitors will in turn increase customers for other local businesses. About half of all UK farms use some form of diversified activity in their business, helpibf to integrate them within the rural economy.

Strong support and a belief in the business:

Fergus said: “Buying Mount Farm Park has been a great decision and the Clydesdale team have been more than helpful. Having been in the safety of a partnership at the family farm, one can feel very alone to make such big decisions but it was great to have a professional and honest opinion of what I was undertaking.”

Supporting the UK’s rural businesses:

The rural economy is wide-reaching and can mean many things to many people. The media’s portrayal of this industry is largely focused on cows, sheep and tractors, but we know this barely scratches the surface of an intertwined industry that has tentacles stretching into diverse activities.

Read more about Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank’s commitment to supporting the UK agricultural sector in the latest edition of Business Banking Insights.