Ringwood is a market town on the River Avon at the south-western edge of the New Forest, where the river meanders through water meadows between the National Park boundary and the Hampshire-Dorset border. The flood meadows of the Avon Valley, the heathland commons south of town towards St Ives and Blashford Lakes, the ancient oak carr and alder scrub of the riverside, and the lime-lined streets of the town centre give local honey bees one of the more varied late-season foraging landscapes in south Hampshire.
Ringwood collectors regularly attend swarms in the riverside garden boundaries and water-meadow-edge hedgerows below Meeting House Lane, in the older chimney pots and cottage roof voids of the Market Place and High Street conservation area, in the hawthorn and sallow scrub of the Blashford Lakes reserve margins, and on the heather and gorse of the commons between Ringwood and Ashley Heath.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
BH22 8SS· approx. 10 km
Visit websiteSP6 3NH· approx. 14 km
Visit websiteSO43 7NY· approx. 16 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The season opens on oilseed rape across the downs north of Winchester, followed by hawthorn, sycamore and field maple in the hedgerow-rich chalk country. Early summer brings the famous lime flow through Romsey, Alresford and the avenues of Southampton Common, with bramble and white clover carrying hives through July. Late summer belongs to the New Forest — ling and bell heather on the open commons give a thick, amber-tending-black crop, and rosebay willowherb flushes every disturbed ride. Ivy on old boundary oaks finishes the year.
More on beekeeping in HampshireReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
