Crowborough is the largest town on the High Weald ridge, sitting at over 200 metres on the edge of Ashdown Forest. The heather, gorse and birch scrub of the Forest within walking distance of the town makes it one of the best locations for late-summer beekeeping in East Sussex, and the High Weald BKA based locally draws on a strong tradition of heather-bee migration and artisan heather honey production.
The High Weald BKA covers swarm collection around Crowborough and the wider Forest fringe. Collectors regularly attend garden and heathland swarms on the Ashdown Forest boundary at Poundgate and Crowborough Warren, in the mature garden trees of the Beacon Road and Goldsmiths Avenue areas, and in the birch and gorse scrub margins of the Jarvis Brook corridor.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
TN6 3LJ· approx. 4 km
Visit websiteRH19 4SJ· approx. 15 km
Visit websiteTN10 4LL· approx. 19 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.
