Huntington is a village-turned-suburb on the north-eastern edge of York, straddling the River Foss and its ancient flood meadows. Once a separate township recorded in Domesday, it has been absorbed into York's urban fringe while retaining a village church, allotment gardens and the Huntington recreation ground. The River Foss carries willowherb and water mint through summer; oilseed rape on the Vale of York plain to the north-east opens the season in April, and hawthorn hedgerows on the field boundaries give bees a strong May flow.
Collectors attend swarms in the riverside willows and alder along the Foss, in the allotment fruit trees and hedges of Huntington recreation ground, in the churchyard lime and in the garden trees of the established residential streets off New Lane.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
YO19 5UF· approx. 5 km
Visit websiteYO61 3AG· approx. 17 km
LS25 6HH· approx. 22 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Oilseed rape on the Vale of York arable fields around Dunnington, Poppleton and Skelton opens the season from early April. Hawthorn is dense on the field-boundary hedgerows all around the city fringe. York city centre is defined by its lime flow in June — Museum Gardens, Dean's Park, the Knavesmire lime avenue and the Victorian residential streets of Bishopthorpe Road and Bootham all contribute. Bramble is prolific on the railway embankment and Strensall Common edges; willowherb and himalayan balsam follow on the Ouse riverside. Bell heather on Strensall Common gives a modest but genuine late-July supplement. Ivy on the City Walls, churchyard walls and older suburban gardens closes the year.
More on beekeeping in City of YorkReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
