Cottesmore is a limestone village in north Rutland, best known for its long association with RAF Cottesmore — the former fast-jet base whose runways lie immediately to the village's north-east. Since the station closed in 2013 the airfield margins have reverted to rough grassland and scrub, creating a mosaic of early-season forage among the traditional mixed-farming landscape of the Eye Brook valley. The wide grass verges, hawthorn hedgerows and parkland of the surrounding farmland give local colonies a productive season through hawthorn, clover and late bramble.
Collectors are called to swarms in the ash and sycamore around St Nicholas's Church, in the cavity walls and porch voids of the older stone cottages along Main Street, along the hedge-lined Barleythorpe Road heading south, and in the bramble-covered margins of the former airfield perimeter to the north-east of the village.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
PE9 4HZ· approx. 14 km
Visit websiteNG318JS· approx. 25 km
Visit websitePE7 3BN· approx. 35 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The season opens on blackthorn and hawthorn along the ancient limestone hedgerows, followed by sycamore and oilseed rape across the arable fields east of Oakham and Ketton. Lime flowers well in both market towns in June; white clover and field margins carry colonies through July. The reservoir shore at Rutland Water supports willowherb and wild angelica into late summer, and field maple, bramble and ivy on the churchyard walls close the year through October and November.
More on beekeeping in RutlandReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
