Retford is a market town on the Idle in north Nottinghamshire, on the edge of the Trent vale lowlands with the Sherwood Forest sandstone country to the west and the flat Lincolnshire border farmland to the east. The Nottinghamshire BKA covers the town, and the surrounding landscape — the Idle riverside willows and watermeadow margins, the ancient lime avenues and parkland of the Dukeries estate fringe, the old walled gardens of the market town and the mixed arable farmland of the Trent and Idle vale — gives local bees a productive lowland-river season.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the older lime trees and garden remnants of the Market Place and Exchange Street conservation areas, along the Idle riverside willows and watermeadow margins at Hayton and Clarborough, in the old parkland and orchard remnants of the Ranby and Barnby Moor lanes, and in the chimney stacks and eaves of the older Georgian and Victorian market-town properties.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
LN1 2DS· approx. 21 km
DN3 3AG· approx. 25 km
Visit websiteS60 5PA· approx. 30 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Oilseed rape dominates the spring flow on the light sandy soils between Newark and Retford. Sycamore and horse chestnut carry May; lime lights the streets of Nottingham, West Bridgford, Mansfield and Worksop. Sherwood Forest gives a strong sweet-chestnut and oak-honeydew contribution in June. Rosebay willowherb is exceptionally heavy on the ex-colliery spoil heaps — a genuinely distinctive Nottinghamshire flow — and bramble fills every disused rail corridor. Ivy on old cottage walls closes a productive year.
More on beekeeping in NottinghamshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
