Washington is a new town built around the historic Washington Old Hall estate — modern residential districts, managed greens and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Washington WWT. Its bees benefit from the wetland and scrub habitat of the Wear floodplain and the managed grasslands of the district parks.
Swarms in Washington settle on the mature trees of Washington Old Hall grounds, on garden eaves in the residential districts around Albany and Concord, and on the bramble-scrub margins of the WWT reserve. Collectors cover the surrounding Wear Valley corridor.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
NE9 5AX· approx. 7 km
Visit websiteNE12 8EH· approx. 14 km
Visit websiteDH1 3SG· approx. 15 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.
