Canterbury is a cathedral city and one of the most historically important towns in England, with its ancient city walls, medieval close and the orchards and hop gardens of east Kent surrounding it on all sides. The Canterbury BKA is one of the oldest in the county, and its collectors handle swarms from city-centre limes and sycamores through to the cherry and apple orchards of the Blean and the North Downs farmland towards Chilham and Chartham.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the lime trees and flint walls of the Cathedral precincts and Dane John Gardens, in the orchard gardens of the Wincheap and St Dunstan's conservation areas, on the scrubby margins of the Blean woodland complex, and in the chimney stacks and roof voids of the medieval and Victorian terraces inside and outside the city walls.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
CT4 5DY· approx. 4 km
Visit websiteCT5 4LS· approx. 9 km
Visit websiteCT15 4AD· approx. 16 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Few places open as explosively as Kent. Cherry, apple, pear and plum in the orchards of Faversham, Tenterden and the Medway bring an intense early flow, followed closely by oilseed rape on the North Downs dip slopes. Lime and sweet chestnut carry hives through June, particularly in the coppiced woods of the Weald. Late summer is often dominated by fireweed on the chalk pits and disturbed ground, with a strong and valuable ivy flow across the coastal plain from Deal to Whitstable. Hops, though decorative for bees, add to the mosaic.
More on beekeeping in KentReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
