Hastings is a historic fishing town and coastal resort backed by the ancient sandstone ridges of the High Weald and Hastings Country Park. The deep-cut ghylls running through the town centre and the bracken and gorse heath of the Country Park to the east make it one of the most characterful bee landscapes on the East Sussex coast. Ivy is heavy here in autumn, and the Hastings & Rother BKA has active collectors across the whole district.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the old net huts and fishing gear stores of the Stade, in the dense Victorian and Edwardian cottage gardens of the West Hill and East Hill, in the ghyll woodland margins of Alexandra Park, and on the heathland scrub of Hastings Country Park where feral colonies occupy old rabbit warrens and tree cavities.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
TN33 9QA· approx. 13 km
Visit websiteBN26 5DF· approx. 24 km
Visit websiteTN17 1JB· approx. 30 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.
