New generation running Thorpe Farm Centre near Barnard Castle

Harvey Barkes, 26, is now helping his parents run Thorpe Farm Centre near Barnard Castle.

As part of his role, he is not only responsible for the day-to-day running of the farm but also its future development.

This includes The Courtyard farm shop, gift shop, restaurant, and Peel House reclamation and antiques centre.

It also includes Thorpe Farm Holiday Park, which has lodges, static and touring caravans, and pitches for tents.Harvey with his parents Paul and Jo Barkes (Image: Thorpe Farm Centre)

Mr Barkes said: “I love developing Thorpe Farm year on year.

“I strive for it to become a place where locals and those holidaying here can enjoy the experience of being on a farm, appreciate the surrounding area and all it has to offer, and also be well served by everything we’re developing on site.”

Thorpe Farm was bought by Harvey’s great-grandfather, Percy Barkes, in 1936, and has been farmed by three generations thereafter.

When Harvey’s father, Paul, returned from college in 1983, he was running a mixed livestock farm.

Along with his wife Jo, he diversified Thorpe Farm by opening to the public in 2001 with a farm shop and coffee shop located in Peel House.

Unfortunately, foot and mouth hit UK farming the same year, and this contributed to Paul and Jo’s decision to build their retail and hospitality offering.

Further diversification came in 2006, with the first five pitches for the new caravan park, which Harvey, then aged 8, remembers.

He said: “As children, it was really exciting when different people were coming to stay on the farm.

“The continuing development of Thorpe Farm was my home life.

“I remember, aged 11, helping my dad expand the touring park.

“We were out one day late in the afternoon.

“It was December, so it was freezing, and there was horizontal snow but it didn’t matter, we were busy putting new bases down for the touring caravans.

“It was great, I loved it.

“I always helped when I had any spare time at that age.

“I look back now and see areas of the park where I can vividly picture helping my dad do something to assist with the progression of the site and it’s really gratifying.”

Since then, the holiday park has expanded to include static caravans, seasonal pitches, and areas for touring caravans and tents.

The Courtyard shop and restaurant opened on May Bank Holiday weekend in 2018, 17 years after Harvey’s parents had opened their initial cafe and farm shop in Peel House.

He was educated at Barnard Castle School, followed by university where he completed a four-year degree in Business with International Management, which included a year-long industry placement.

He spent this time at Cranswick plc, a FTSE250 food production company, working at their Sherburn in Elmet site near Leeds.

He said: “I’m so glad I had this opportunity.

“At Cranswick, I saw the importance of processes and business structure.

“It’s really informed me on how I now approach development here at Thorpe Farm.”

Since his return to Teesdale in 2022, he has worked almost exclusively at Thorpe Farm Centre, and is now looking at how the business can evolve for the future.

Harvey said: “Thorpe Farm Centre has been impacted by foot and mouth, by changes to the A66 alongside the farm, and by Covid lockdowns.

“I’d now like Thorpe Farm to become as much a destination for people who live in Teesdale and the North Yorkshire Dales as it has become for those with touring and static caravans.

“My great-grandfather, my grandfather, and particularly my dad have put years of graft into Thorpe Farm Centre.

“My aim is to continue that journey, to grow and evolve the business further, and in doing so, to make my parents and their parents proud.”