Midsomer Norton is a market town straddling the River Somer in the heart of the former Somerset coalfield, its High Street and Silver Street bordered by gardens that merge into the open limestone hedgerow country on the approach to Paulton and Timsbury. The Somer valley corridor carries elder, hawthorn and alder along its banks, and the plane and lime trees in the town centre give foragers a reliable early-summer source before the surrounding field hedgerows come into their own. Mendip Beekeepers maintain coverage across the BA3 postcode area.
Collectors attend swarms in the Somer riverside elder and hawthorn from the town centre toward Welton, in the plane and lime trees along the High Street and the Somer Valley Redway, on the Victorian and Edwardian terraced rooftops and chimney stacks on the Norton Hill fringe, and in the stone garden walls and cottage plots along Welton Road and the Silver Street residential lanes.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BA3 2DP· approx. 0 km
Visit websiteBA2 9JA· approx. 10 km
Visit websiteBA4 5PF· approx. 11 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The season opens on blackthorn and willow along the Avon riverside at Saltford and Keynsham, followed by hawthorn and apple blossom through the Chew valley orchards in May. Lime is the defining June flow in Bath — the plane trees of Great Pulteney Street, the lime avenues of Royal Victoria Park and the Prior Park landscape garden are particularly productive. Mendip-fringe limestone grasslands around Chew Magna, Bishop Sutton and Clutton carry wild thyme, knapweed and marjoram from June into July. Bramble is dense on the coal-measure slopes above Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Timsbury; willowherb and himalayan balsam flush the Avon towpath below Saltford and Keynsham through August. Ivy on Bath stone walls and village churchyards closes the year into October.
More on beekeeping in Bath and North East SomersetReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
