Stoke-on-Trent is the Potteries conurbation of north Staffordshire, a confederation of six towns — Burslem, Hanley, Longton, Fenton, Stoke and Tunstall — set in the upper Trent valley between the south Pennine moorlands and Cannock Chase. The North Staffordshire BKA covers the area, and despite the industrial heritage, the surrounding countryside — the heather moorland of the Staffordshire Moorlands, the Trent valley watermeadows, the Churnet valley woodlands and the colliery reclamation grasslands of the city fringe — gives local bees a varied upland and lowland season.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the older garden remnants and lime trees of the Longton and Burslem town centre conservation areas, along the Trent and Fowlea Brook riverside willows and watermeadow margins, on the heather moorland margins of the Staffordshire Moorlands beyond Biddulph, and in the chimney stacks and eaves of the older Victorian Potteries properties.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
ST9 0EL· approx. 7 km
Visit websiteCW11 2UR· approx. 17 km
Visit websiteST17 0UP· approx. 26 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.
