Battle is a historic small town in the High Weald, famous for its abbey and the surrounding ancient woodland and ghyll country of the 1066 Country Walk. The sweet chestnut coppice and bramble around the Weald edges give Battle bees an excellent flow from late May through July, and the Hastings & Rother BKA covers swarm collection across the town and surrounding villages.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the old abbey garden walls and the mature trees of the Battle Abbey grounds, in the cottage gardens and hedgerow oaks of the High Street and Mount Street, along the woodland edge paths towards Netherfield and Catsfield, and in the chimneys and roof cavities of the medieval and Georgian town centre properties.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
TN33 9QA· approx. 4 km
Visit websiteBN26 5DF· approx. 20 km
Visit websiteTN17 1JB· approx. 22 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The early flow starts on blackthorn and wild cherry, before hawthorn lights the hedges of the Weald. Late May to July carries the colonies on sweet chestnut around Heathfield, bramble across every common and hedge bank, and — most characteristically — heather on Ashdown Forest from late July into August, giving the dark, jelly-like Ash Down heather honey some members still cut-comb for show. Ivy closes the year on sheltered sandstone lanes and the tall old churchyards of Rye, Lewes and Battle.
More on beekeeping in East SussexReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
