Newport Pagnell is an ancient market town on the confluence of the Ouse and the Lovat, occupying a commanding position above the flood meadows of the Great Ouse valley at the northern edge of Buckinghamshire. The surrounding landscape — the riverside willows and osier beds of Tickford End, the oilseed rape and field-bean farmland of the north Bucks clay plateau, and the ornamental parkland of Chicheley Hall — gives local honeybee colonies a productive vale season from April through July.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the mature garden trees of the High Street and Silver Street conservation area, along the Great Ouse and Lovat riverside willows and alder carr at Tickford and Caldecotte, in the old walled gardens of the town's Georgian and Victorian properties, and in the eaves and chimney stacks of the older brick farmhouses on the Cranfield and Sherington lanes.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
MK9 3EP· approx. 5 km
Visit websiteNN3 7AX· approx. 24 km
Visit websiteHP22 5TE· approx. 33 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The Chiltern beech hangers produce an unusual honeydew flow some years; lime, field maple and sweet chestnut are the more reliable June flows through Marlow, High Wycombe, Amersham and Chalfont. In the Vale, oilseed rape dominates the spring and field beans support early June. Bramble is dense on the commons; rosebay willowherb fills every beech-clearing on the scarp. A strong late ivy flow runs across the flint-walled villages and ancient churchyards of the scarp foot.
More on beekeeping in BuckinghamshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
