Jarrow is a historic industrial town on the south bank of the Tyne, where post-industrial greening and the Bede's World heritage site have transformed former shipyard and colliery land. The Jarrow Slake nature reserve, the Tyne riverside willows and the meadow grassland of the Primrose Estate fringe give local bees a productive late-summer forage on himalayan balsam, purple loosestrife and rosebay willowherb — plants that have colonised the regenerating brownfield that defines much of modern Jarrow.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the riverside willow and himalayan balsam of the Tyne at Jarrow Slake and the former Palmer's shipyard site, in the elder and buddleia scrub of the regenerating brownfield between the Ellison Street corridor and the riverside, in the lime trees of Monkton Road and the older Jarrow residential streets, and in the chimney pots and eaves of the Edwardian and inter-war terraces.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
NE12 8EH· approx. 8 km
Visit websiteNE9 5AX· approx. 9 km
Visit websiteDH1 3SG· approx. 25 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Spring opens on sycamore and horse chestnut in Jesmond Dene, Leazes Park and Saltwell Park. The lime avenues of the Georgian terraces of Newcastle and the Victorian parks of Sunderland lead the June flow. Bramble and rosebay willowherb are heavy on former pit-head and industrial land. The coastal denes — Marsden, Whitburn, Castle Eden — contribute sea-buckthorn and coastal meadow forage; ivy on old stone streets and garden walls closes the year.
More on beekeeping in Tyne and WearReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
