Stanton Drew is a small village in the Chew valley at the foot of the Mendip foothills, famous for its prehistoric stone circles — the third largest in Britain — set in a meadow beside the River Chew. The surrounding landscape of old orchards, limestone hedgerows and river-meadow pasture gives honeybees an exceptional forage base: the stone circle field itself is managed as traditionally mown hay meadow, and the Chew valley orchards contribute apple blossom in May.
Collectors are called to swarms in the hawthorn and field maple hedgerows along Stanton Drew Lane, in the garden walls and churchyard lime of the village, and in the old orchard trees and stone outbuildings at farms along the Chew valley floor.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BS1 4QS· approx. 8 km
Visit websitebs313ep· approx. 9 km
Visit websiteBA2 9JA· approx. 9 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.
