Reigate is a well-preserved market town beneath the North Downs scarp, with the open chalk grassland and yew woodland of Reigate Hill and Box Hill within easy striking distance for foraging bees. The Reigate BKA covers the whole of the southern North Downs and the Weald Vale below, and its collectors are experienced with the full spectrum of habitat — from the mature walled gardens of the town conservation area to the open agricultural land south towards Horley.
Local collectors regularly attend swarms in the old walled gardens and orchard trees of the castle grounds and Bell Street area, in the scrubby chalk downland margins above Reigate Hill fort, in the mature garden trees of the Wray Lane and Doods Road residential areas, and in the chimney stacks and mansard roofs of the Georgian and Victorian townhouse streets.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
RH3 7BQ· approx. 3 km
Visit websiteSM7 3QA· approx. 9 km
Visit websiteKT17 2AF· approx. 13 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.
