Farm of the week: Farmer finds way to attract the tourists

AMAZING: Paul Caygill is pictured left deep in the maze, and below, with other attractions at White House Farm. Pictures: Mike Cowling

AGRICULTURAL Correspondent Mark Casci caught up with a Yorkshire farmer whose work to diversify his farm has made it an ever-growing tourist attraction.

HAVING a bypass constructed through the middle of your land is usually far from ideal for a young farmer.

However, the construction of the new Easingwold Bypass afforded Paul Caygill the chance to create a highly successful diversification business that has put his farm very much on the map.

Easingwold Maize Maze has been operating every summer for nine years on his White House Farm holding, allowing children and their parents a fun day out and the chance to learn about agriculture at the same time.

Making use of some of the maize crop on his 60-acre holding, he allows visitors to follow clues to eventually find their way to the centre of the maze.

Since creating his initial maze he has added further attractions including a Go Kart track, a large inflatable slide and pens of farm animals which children can pet.

Today it forms the bulk of the farm’s income and attracts up to 500 visitors on a good day.

Indeed, for someone used to visiting very quiet and peaceful farms, it was something of a shock to drive into White House Farm and be greeted by the laughter of children enjoying a day out with their families.

The maze will close this weekend leaving Mr Caygill with the task of tending his flock of 150 ewes instead of meeting and greeting the public.

A former businessman he says he enjoys the face-to-face dealings with the public.

“The location is the key really,” he said. “We’re in a brilliant position, right next to the bypass. We knew it was a great site and have just built it up over the years, getting more and more people here.

“I used to work in Norfolk and saw one down there. I remember thinking at the time that it was a great idea.”

Mr Caygill constructs the maize himself every year, cutting the pathways when the crop is still young and changing the design each time.

The maize maze sits alongside 30 acres of grassland which Mr Caygill uses for producing hay and parcels of land set aside for the Higher Level Stewardship scheme for wild bird cover.

He also runs a fishing pond and three holiday cottages in an old converted barn which was previously used for storing dairy cattle.

“We did use to have a dairy herd but they went when my dad decided to retire.

“We have the maze open every day during the six weeks of the summer holidays and I am here every day.”

Mr Caygill, the third generation of his family to farm at White House Farm, remains very close to the local farming community.

As well as the maize, which goes to a local beef farmer for his cattle, he allows another local beef producer to sell burgers at the maze during the summer.

Elsewhere, he uses his sheep flock to produce fat lambs.

The operation on the farm remains very much a family business. His children work at the maze during the summer and the attraction in total provides seasonal employment for five people.

Mr Caygill himself worked on the farm part-time as a youngster before going to work for a straw company for several years before coming back to Easingwold to work at the family farm.

“It has been a great job to do during the summer,” he says.

“We have had people coming back year after year, I’ve been able to watch some of these children grow up.”

Mr Caygill said the Bank Holiday had proved particularly busy, despite the typical British summer weather bringing some rain over the weekend.

However, the hot and unseasonably dry weather seen throughout much of the year did result in his maize crop growing a week behind the usual date.

“The dry weather definitely slowed it down. However, it has recovered really well and looks very good at the moment.”

Once he is ready Mr Caygill will cut the crop at around a few inches above the ground before the process is begun of preparing feed for the cattle.

In addition to the various other diversification projects there is a permissive bridleway that runs through White House Farm which is very popular with hikers and ramblers.

As well as offering the youngsters a fun day out Mr Caygill attempts to educate youngsters about the area’s proud agricultural heritage and farming in general.

Among the animals on display for children to see are goats, alpacas and pigs.

The Higher Level Stewardship side of things at White House Farm remains a source of great pride for Mr Caygill.

Having worked with the Farming and Wildlife Action Group he has been involved in environmental schemes for a number of years, resulting in rare birds and other wildlife being established alongside the maze.

He has managed to juggle the requirements of various schemes while creating a flourishing business and says that the wildlife seen on the farm makes him very proud. “We had a couple of Oystercatchers here,” he says, pointing towards the maze.

“The pond that we have is full of tadpoles and toads in the spring which is fantastic to say that just a few years before it was a standard arable field.

“Having the sheep is great for keeping on top of the hay as well, so I don’t need to cut it as much.”

Next year will mark the maze’s tenth anniversary and Mr Caygill admits that he will now have to think of something special to commemorate the landmark.

“It has been a great success and we do try to make it bigger and better every year,” he said.

“I suppose it is something to be proud of.

“It certainly forms the bulk of the income now. Between this, the fishing ponds, the holiday cottage and the farm itself we are very much kept busy.”

 

 

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