Set in the heart of the scenic Ceredigion countryside in West Wales, Bargoed Farm is a family-run camping and caravan park, offering a secluded retreat all year round.

The 80-acre site is a haven to a variety of wildlife and enjoys an idyllic location in Cardigan Bay, close to the seaside towns of Aberaeron and New Quay.

Husband and wife, Geraint and Christine Thomas, first established the holiday park in 2016, providing over 50 serviced hardstanding pitches, many of which have private hot tubs. In the years since, the couple have continued to expand the business, which now includes the Moody Cow farm shop and bistro – selling locally sourced food and drink – and indoor children’s play centre, Moody Calf. Both have proved popular among visitors and locals alike.

In January 2022, the Ysgubor wedding and events venue was launched and there are plans to open the Posh Cow coffee and wine bar in the very near future.

To help the Thomas’s expand the business further, a new loan from Triodos Bank UK will fund the conversion of farm outbuildings into self-contained holiday accommodation, due to be ready by Easter 2023.

Harnessing renewable energy

The loan from Triodos will also support the Farm’s ambition to go off-grid by funding new solar panels and battery storage. This will allow Bargoed Farm to source (and store) the majority of its power from renewable energy.

“Our aspirations to reach net zero are an important part of our business plans and we’re excited to have the opportunity to take a step closer to this by increasing our solar energy supply,” says Geraint Thomas, owner of Bargoed Farm.

He adds: “We’re set in a beautiful part of the Welsh countryside, and we hope our new accommodation will help encourage people to visit the area and enjoy everything it has to offer.”

It’s anticipated that the new accommodation will be available to both tourists and as part of wedding/event packages.

Speaking about the new loan, Sarah Johnson, Relationship Manager for Wales at Triodos Bank UK, says: “Working with a proactively sustainable organisation like Bargoed Farm is an ideal fit with our mission and values and we’re delighted to support its efforts to achieve net zero and to expand its business further.”