Timsbury is a former colliery village in the Cam valley east of Paulton, set on a south-facing slope above the Cam Brook with limestone meadows on the surrounding farmland. The Cam Brook corridor below the village carries hawthorn, elder and alder along its banks, and bramble has colonised the former pit workings above the village to give bees forage through late summer. Hawthorn-hedged lanes lead out toward Radstock, Peasedown St John and the Mendip fringe, providing a reliable spring flow for colonies in the area.
Collectors attend swarms in the Cam Brook riverside hawthorn and elder above Timsbury Mill, on the bramble-covered former colliery ground edges above the Temple Cloud Road, in the stone cottage garden walls near the recreation ground, and on the rooftops and chimney stacks of the older pit-cottage rows on the valley side.
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. 8 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.
