Bidford-on-Avon is a large village on the River Avon in south-west Warwickshire, crossed by the ancient Ryknild Street and straddling the Avon between the fruit-orchard country of the Vale of Evesham to the south and the Shakespeare Arden to the north. The Evesham BKA and the Stratford-on-Avon BKA both cover the area, and the landscape around it — the Avon riverside willows and flood-plain meadows, the fruit-tree orchards and soft-fruit holdings of Barton and Cleeve Prior on the Vale edge, the hedgerow hawthorn and blackthorn of the Bidford plateau, and the lime avenue of St Laurence's churchyard — gives local bees one of the finest mixed orchard-and-Avon-valley seasons in the Midlands.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the medieval cottage and barn walls of the High Street and Church Street conservation area, in the riverside willow and hawthorn at Marcliff and Salford Priors, in the fruit-tree orchard and market-garden holdings at Barton and Cleeve Prior, and in the garden cherry, apple and plum trees of the residential streets east of the river bridge.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
WR11 4UG· approx. 7 km
Visit websiteCV37 6QW· approx. 10 km
Visit websiteWR1 1AA· approx. 25 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Early flows come from blackthorn and cherry in the Arden hedgerows and oilseed rape on the lighter soils around Southam and Shipston. Hawthorn is abundant; sycamore and field maple fill the middle of May. Lime and sweet chestnut in the parkland around Warwick, Kenilworth and Stratford produce a strong June flow. Bramble and rosebay willowherb support July, and a solid ivy flow along the ironstone villages closes a long season.
More on beekeeping in WarwickshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
