Oxford is a cathedral and university city at the meeting of the Thames and Cherwell, its college gardens, meadows and river corridors making it one of the most bee-productive towns in England relative to its size. The lime avenues of the Broad Walk and Christ Church Meadow, the ancient yew and chestnut of the university parks, the water meadows of Port Meadow and Christchurch Meadow and the bramble and willowherb of the canal corridors give local colonies a season that begins on the college crocus lawns in February and ends on the ivy of the old stone walls in November.
Oxford collectors regularly attend swarms in the college garden walls and lime trees of the Broad Walk and University Parks, on the tiled and leadwork roofs of listed college buildings, in the mature garden trees of Headington and Jericho, along the Oxford Canal towpath between Jericho and Wolvercote, and in the garden hedgerows of the North Oxford Victorian suburb.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
OX14 1QY· approx. 8 km
Visit websiteOX20 1LP· approx. 12 km
Visit websiteRG8 0QY· approx. 28 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Spring opens on blackthorn, hawthorn and cherry plum along the stone hedges of the Cotswolds fringe and the chalk lynchets of the Vale. Oilseed rape is locally significant in Cherwell and South Oxfordshire. Beech in the Chilterns contributes to a huge honeydew-flavoured June flow some years, while lime avenues fill central Oxford and the larger market towns. Bramble, rosebay willowherb and field bean carry July; ivy along the Thames valley walls and the old college gardens closes the year.
More on beekeeping in OxfordshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
