Chippenham is a market town on the Avon in north-west Wiltshire, set between the limestone plateau of the Cotswold fringe and the chalk downs to the east. The North Wiltshire BKA is active in the town and the surrounding countryside, where the old hay meadows and hedged pasture of the By Brook valley, the limestone grassland of Colerne Down, the riverside alders and willows of the Avon at Rowden and the orchard remnants of the old market-garden fringe all contribute to a productive bee season.
Collectors regularly attend swarms in the older garden and orchard remnants of the Causeway and London Road conservation areas, along the Avon riverside willows and alders at Pewsham and Chippenham Marsh, on the limestone grassland and scrub margins of the Colerne plateau lanes, and in the chimney stacks and eaves of the older market-town properties of the High Street and St Mary Street areas.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
SN12 6ES· approx. 10 km
Visit websiteSN10 2LA· approx. 15 km
Visit websitebs313ep· approx. 24 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Early blackthorn and hawthorn along the cowslip-strewn down edges open the year, followed by oilseed rape on the clay vale around Chippenham. Sainfoin is still grown here, and chalk grassland herbs — thyme, marjoram, knapweed, yellow rattle — give a herb-scented character to summer Wiltshire honey that connoisseurs notice. Lime lines Salisbury, Marlborough and Devizes streets; sweet chestnut at Savernake contributes to June. A small but reliable late ivy flow on flint churchyards closes a long chalkland season.
More on beekeeping in WiltshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
