Coleshill is a small historic market town on the River Cole in north Warwickshire, perched on a sandstone ridge above the Tame valley between Birmingham and Coventry. The Solihull & District BKA serves the area, and the surrounding landscape — the river-valley willows and watermeadow margins of the Cole and Blythe, the ancient hedgerow oaks of the Packington and Maxstoke park estates, the canal-side blackthorn of the Coventry Canal corridor, and the mixed Arden farmland of the Coleshill Heath fringe — gives local bees a productive season from blackthorn and cherry through to late ivy on the old sandstone churchyard walls.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the lime trees and old properties of the Church Hill and High Street conservation areas, along the Cole and Blythe riverside willows and watermeadow margins at Packington and Maxstoke, in the parkland trees and walled garden remnants of Packington Hall estate, and in the chimney stacks and eaves of the older ridge-top Georgian and Victorian town properties.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
B91 1LG· approx. 11 km
Visit websiteB74 2YT· approx. 11 km
Visit websiteB13 8QG· approx. 14 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.
