Epsom is a large Surrey town best known for its racecourse on the North Downs, and the Downs themselves — managed chalk grassland, yew scrub and ancient parkland — are prime beekeeping country immediately behind the town. The Epsom BKA covers the town and the surrounding districts, with collectors experienced in the mix of suburban gardens, allotment sites and Downland edge habitat that characterises this part of north Surrey.
Collectors regularly handle swarms in the mature garden trees and allotments of the Stoneleigh and West Ewell areas, on the gorse and yew scrub margins of Epsom Common and Epsom Downs, in the lime-lined streets of the town centre, and in the chimney stacks and party walls of the Victorian terraces of Longmead and Nonsuch.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
KT17 2AF· approx. 2 km
Visit websiteSM7 3QA· approx. 7 km
Visit websiteKT8 0AG· approx. 9 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Spring builds fast on blackthorn, hawthorn and horse chestnut along the North Downs scarp, then leans heavily on field maple, sycamore and the urban lime avenues of Guildford, Dorking and Woking. The lowland heaths — Chobham, Frensham, Thursley — give a late bell heather crop in good Augusts that colonies here can count on, supplemented by rosebay willowherb across the MoD training land. Bramble is dense from Box Hill to the Surrey Hills AONB, and the old walled churchyards carry a strong ivy flow into autumn.
More on beekeeping in SurreyReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
