Lichfield is a cathedral city in south Staffordshire, with a magnificent three-spired Gothic cathedral and the historic close surrounding it, set in the low-lying farming country between Cannock Chase and the Trent valley. The Staffordshire BKA covers the city, and the surrounding landscape — the old walled gardens and lime trees of the Cathedral Close, the Minster Pool and Stowe Pool watermeadow willows, the heather of Cannock Chase to the north-west and the ancient farmland of the Lichfield fringe — gives local bees a historic and varied season.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the lime trees and old walled gardens of the Cathedral Close and Beacon Street conservation areas, along the Minster Pool and Stowe Pool waterside willows and reed-bed margins, on the heather and bracken margins of Cannock Chase towards Burntwood, and in the chimney stacks and eaves of the older cathedral city and Georgian properties.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
B74 2YT· approx. 13 km
Visit websiteST17 0UP· approx. 18 km
Visit websiteDE13 0BN· approx. 22 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Oilseed rape leads the early flow across the arable belt. Cannock Chase contributes a significant late heather crop — bell first, then ling — on its extensive sandy commons. The Staffordshire Moorlands add bilberry and small ling patches; lime in Stafford, Lichfield, Burton and Stoke-on-Trent fills the June streets. Bramble and rosebay willowherb are everywhere in the former colliery and brickworks land. Ivy carries hives into autumn on old red-brick terraces and the greenbelt villages.
More on beekeeping in StaffordshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
