Keynsham is a market town on the River Avon midway between Bath and Bristol, where the Chew joins the Avon in a broad confluence of willow and alder-fringed water meadows. The Keynsham Memorial Park carries mature lime trees and ornamental plantings that provide reliable early-summer forage, while cider-apple orchards survive on the slope farmsteads above the river on the Bristol Road and Bath Road fringes. Keynsham Beekeepers are based in the town and maintain strong collector coverage across BS31.
Collectors attend swarms in the Memorial Park lime trees and ornamental gardens near the High Street, in the Avon and Chew riverside willows and alder between Somerdale and the weir, in the orchard gardens along the Bath Road fringe above the river, and on the older residential chimney stacks and eaves near the High Street and the Ashton Way area.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
bs313ep· approx. 3 km
Visit websiteBA2 9JA· approx. 6 km
Visit websiteBS1 4QS· approx. 8 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The season opens on blackthorn and willow along the Avon riverside at Saltford and Keynsham, followed by hawthorn and apple blossom through the Chew valley orchards in May. Lime is the defining June flow in Bath — the plane trees of Great Pulteney Street, the lime avenues of Royal Victoria Park and the Prior Park landscape garden are particularly productive. Mendip-fringe limestone grasslands around Chew Magna, Bishop Sutton and Clutton carry wild thyme, knapweed and marjoram from June into July. Bramble is dense on the coal-measure slopes above Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Timsbury; willowherb and himalayan balsam flush the Avon towpath below Saltford and Keynsham through August. Ivy on Bath stone walls and village churchyards closes the year into October.
More on beekeeping in Bath and North East SomersetReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
