Sunderland is a coastal city on the Wear mouth — its Victorian parks, the Herrington Country Park and the coastal denes providing bees with a distinctive northeast urban season. The post-industrial Wearside brownfield carries an outstanding late flow of rosebay willowherb.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in Mowbray Park, on the Victorian chimney pots of Ashbrooke and Bishopwearmouth, in the dene gardens of Ryhope and on allotments off Pallion and Grindon. The Castle Eden Dene coastal nature reserve south of the city carries a feral colony population.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
NE9 5AX· approx. 15 km
Visit websiteNE12 8EH· approx. 18 km
Visit websiteDH1 3SG· approx. 19 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.
