There is evidence of farming at Lower Whitegate from c1400 when the area was known as Qwateplatfelde and then Whateplates referring to a small wheat field. Scandinavian influence on dialect changed “wheat” to “white” and by 1573 the farm was known as Whyte Place. By 1651 the name had change again to Whytegate. Whytegate stuck and even Andrew's grandfather, Walter Needham, referred to the farm as Whytegate, pronounced “Whygut” in Yorkshire. It was Walter and his wife Annis who purchased the farm in 1964. Walter reared dairy cattle, housing and milking them in the mistal which is now the breakfast room. In fact, while Walter and Annis waited to move into the farmhouse, Walter slept in the mistal with his cattle, covering himself with straw to keep warm. He didn't have a comfortable night, waking up cold as the cattle had eaten the straw around him!
Walter grew the farm, building a pig sty where the car park now stands. From the 1980's Brian and Lorraine, Andrew's parents, managed the farm. They built up a herd of forty Aberdeen Angus suckler cows and a flock of 800 sheep as well as housing 2000 pigs. Recently we have reduced our livestock numbers and today the farm houses 10 Aberdeen Angus beef cattle, 70 sheep and a flock of free range laying hens. Lowering stock numbers and farming more extensively has reduced our inputs, which is better for the environment and with fertilizer costs rising faster than livestock values, has ensured our farm business remains viable.
In 2007 Andrew established Coddy's Farm, to retail produce reared on the farm at local farmers' markets. The name Coddy's came from Andrew's childhood nickname, taken from his surname Colwill.  Today Coddy's Farm butchery skillfully hand prepare produce which can be enjoyed on our breakfasts and purchased from direct from the farm.