Lewisham and the surrounding south-east London neighbourhoods of Catford, Forest Hill and Honor Oak contain some of the most bee-productive Victorian park planting in the capital. Hilly Fields' lime avenues, the ancient hornbeam and oak of Sydenham Hill Wood and the bramble-laden railway cutting sides create an inner-city forage network that surprises many first-time local beekeepers.
Collectors in the Lewisham area regularly attend swarms in the lime trees of Hilly Fields and Manor House Gardens, in the scrubby margins and railway-cutting hedge of the Catford and Forest Hill corridors, in Victorian chimney pots across the borough's dense terraced streets, and in the ancient wood margin of Sydenham Hill Wood.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BR2 9AU· approx. 8 km
Visit websiteSE1 7JU· approx. 8 km
Visit websiteDA14 5AW· approx. 12 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The capital opens early on crocus in the parks, then builds on blackthorn, cherry plum and Japanese cherry through March and April. The defining London flow is lime — avenues of common, small-leaved and silver lime line central streets from Regents Park to Bermondsey, producing the distinctively pale, mineral London honey of June. Bramble and rosebay willowherb fill brownfield sites and railway embankments, and a huge secondary ivy flow carries hives deep into autumn on Victorian cemeteries and garden boundaries.
More on beekeeping in Greater LondonReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
