Barnstaple is the main market town of north Devon, sitting at the head of the Taw Estuary where the rivers Taw and Yeo meet. The estuary saltmarsh provides unusual sea lavender and sea aster in late summer, the Exmoor hill margins carry heather and bilberry, and the deep-cut valley floors of the surrounding countryside hold sallow, willowherb and bramble through the summer months. The North Devon BKA covers the town and the wider district to Exmoor.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the old orchard and market-garden boundaries of the Newport and Sticklepath areas, along the saltmarsh and mudflat margins of the Taw Estuary at Fremington and Chivenor, in the garden trees of the Pilton and Rock Park conservation areas, and in the chimney stacks and slate roofs of the Georgian and Victorian properties on the High Street and Boutport Street.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
EX32 0EU· approx. 8 km
Visit websiteEX22 7AA· approx. 31 km
Visit websiteEX23 9JD· approx. 39 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Few UK counties open as quickly. Gorse and blackthorn flowering on the cob hedges of the South Hams can carry colonies into a strong early build-up, followed by the sycamore and lime flows of the river valleys — the Exe, Teign and Dart in particular. Sweet chestnut dots Haldon and the east Devon coast; Dartmoor's bell and ling heather give a classic, thick, ambercast crop into August. On Exmoor, the north-slope bilberry and late ling heather feed smaller, darker crops still prized by local keepers.
More on beekeeping in DevonReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
