Totterdown is a densely packed Victorian hillside suburb on the south side of Bristol, famous for its brightly painted terraced houses climbing steep streets between Wells Road and the Malago valley. The Bristol BKA covers the area, and the surrounding landscape — the Arnos Vale Cemetery woodland and wildflower sward, the Malago riverside scrub and reed margins, the allotment plots along the Paintworks corridor and the linden-heavy street planting of the older terrace streets — gives local bees a surprisingly varied inner-city season drawing on both riverside and garden sources.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the older walled garden remnants and lime street trees of the Wells Road, Bath Road and Oxford Street conservation areas, along the Malago riverside willows and hawthorn scrub at Windmill Hill City Farm, in the allotment plots above Totterdown Basin, and in the chimney stacks and eaves of the densely packed late-Victorian terrace properties on the steep residential streets.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BS1 4QS· approx. 2 km
Visit websitebs313ep· approx. 9 km
Visit websiteBA2 9JA· approx. 12 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The early flow rides on blackthorn, cherry plum and hawthorn in Ashton Court and the Downs. The lime avenues of Clifton, Redland and central Bristol produce a classic urban June crop. Ashton Court oaks and sweet chestnut contribute; bramble blankets the Avon Gorge and the old rail corridors of the harbour. Rosebay willowherb and buddleia pick up the post-industrial brownfield; ivy on the high garden walls of Victorian terraces closes the year. Himalayan balsam along the Frome is a summer supplement.
More on beekeeping in BristolReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
