Peasedown St John is a large village east of Radstock in the limestone coalfield country south of Bath, a former mining community now largely residential with open meadow and hedgerow on its eastern and southern approaches. Hawthorn and field maple line the lane hedgerows on the Shoscombe and Camerton roads, and the meadows falling toward the Cam Brook below the village carry additional wildflower forage in spring. The village is served by Mendip Beekeepers and the Bath BKA, giving good collector coverage across BA2.
Collectors attend swarms in the hawthorn and field maple hedgerows on the Shoscombe and Camerton lanes, in the stone-walled cottage gardens near St John's church in the village centre, on the bramble scrub at the edges of former colliery land, and in the farmhouse eaves and outbuildings on the meadow fringe toward the Cam Brook.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BA2 9JA· approx. 4 km
Visit websiteBA3 2DP· approx. 6 km
Visit websitebs313ep· approx. 9 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.
