Rufforth is a village on the flat Vale of York plain west of York, set among arable farmland and former wartime airfield land where grassland and scrub have colonised the old runway margins. The village lies on the Roman road towards Wetherby, and its surroundings carry classic Vale of York forage: oilseed rape opening the season in April, hawthorn on the Ainsty field boundaries in May, and white clover on the improved pasture and airfield grassland through summer. York and District BKA covers the area.
Collectors attend swarms in the churchyard lime and hawthorn hedge, in the older farmhouse gardens in the village, in the rough grassland and scrub on the former Rufforth Airfield, and in the hawthorn hedgerows on the farm tracks towards Askham Richard.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
YO19 5UF· approx. 11 km
Visit websiteLS25 6HH· approx. 15 km
Visit websiteYO8 9AN· approx. 19 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.
