We have a few events organised throughout the year offering an opportunity for our members/beekeepers to promote their knowledge and share their enthusiasm and good will.
Apiary Opening A spring welcome to Horestone is always a date to look forward to in the New Year, with tea and cake to bring us back together after the winter break, eager and re-energised.
Tuesdays 11:00 – 14:00 spring through to autumn, Horestone apiary is open and attended by members for the purpose of maintaining the site, equipment, colonies as well as undertaking preparation for all things bees need. As a member, you are welcome to come along and join in, bring a sandwich for a quick nibble at lunchtime. It is an opportunity to polish up on your skills and increase your knowledge/hands-on experience with our little beasties. If possible, bring your own (clean) bee suit and wellies too.
Open Sunday If you are unable to spend time with us on a weekday, we open on the second and last Sunday of the Month too, from 10:30 – 14:00 spring through to autumn.
Microscopy Study Group is open to all members who would like to improve their skills in all aspects of bee microscopy. Pollen identification, diseased bee examination, bee anatomy and scrutinising debris on the inserts are to name just a few of the activities. Meetings are held on 3rd Wednesday each month at 7pm. Please contact our secretary to confirm dates.
Skittles Evening . . . . the mighty break out from winter when we enjoy an evening of good cheer, good food and the good company of fellow bee lovers.
Work Day for anyone willing to put a welcomed hand in helping to maintain our treasured apiary.
As always, tea and cake will be offered on arrival so as to give everybody a chance to say hello and ‘jobs’ to be delegated before we trim, chop, dig, paint and altogether ‘pimp’ Horestone in preparation for spring. We have a modest range of gardening tools although should you have a strimmer or other gardening tools to hand such as secateurs, shears, gardening fork, etc, if you don’t mind bringing them along (with your wellies and gardening gloves) we expect to have plenty of manageable jobs for everyone to do.
Our next proposed Work Day is 22 February 2026
We expect to be there at 10:00 and finish off by approximately 14:00.
Please let us know that you intend on joining in as it may be necessary to car share – should the numbers of participants be high!
Social Event Our annual BBQ – Bring and Buy Plant sale always enthusiastically supported. This is a well attended event offering the time to relax, chat, eat and swap all the latest updates about our winter/spring highs and lows. We always look forward to the opportunity of buying bee pollinator plants, with contributions of cuttings and seedlings potted up by our generous members, confident in the knowledge that our little beasties will have plenty of food in the garden.
BBKA members are always welcome to join us, including family members and friends too.
Basic Assessment Applicants are invited to sit the BBKA test at our teaching apiary with a registered master beekeeper. This years entries are full, the next assessment will be arranged for 2026, date TBC,
Annual Honey Show A chance to showcase our ‘bee wares’ at the end of summer – our local beekeeper members products are judged by professional judges.
AGM takes place at the Castle Centre, Barnstaple. Official business as usual includes the election of committee members, presentation of awards. Refreshments will be available.
RHS Rosemoor Flower Show is a popular, annual outdoor event that takes place around mid August over a weekend and boasts a wonderful array of stallholders onsite. It is a collective of some of nature’s enticing produce and our opportunity to sell and chat about our wares from the hive. Members are invited to sell their honey and other hive products including candles, furniture polish, wax wraps, etc directly to the public
RHS Rosemoor Plot to Plate This two day event in October is held in the GARDEN ROOM where we join a host of local producers of food, drink and crafts as autumn settles in and we enjoy our honey harvest season with a range of products from the hive.
Mince Pie Day signals the end of the beekeeping ‘apiary open’ season when we come together at the apiary to enjoy Cathy’s quiz and some delectable nibblies (that includes mince pies) with the woodburner a-glow, all good cheer can be heard chattering through the grounds. Then all will be silent until we come together again in spring.
Taster Day is an event that welcomes potential beekeepers to experience bees close up. With our experienced beekeepers, it is an opportunity to realise the suitability of keeping bees, the activities will include:
equipment • manipulating hives • terminology • bee activities • costs
Our next planned Taster Day will be May/June 2026
Introduction to Beekeeping Begins in The Castle Centre in Barnstaple, and thereafter we meet at our apiary for the remaining sessions. In total we expect to deliver between eight to ten sessions, weather dependant, throughout the beekeeping season including a swarm prevention/management session in spring and a hive assembly extra activity. The course will complete by early summer and aim to undertake honey extraction at the end of July which marks the end of the beekeeping season.
| Session | Date | Basic summary of content |
| 1 | Thursday 12th March | Honey bee basic biology |
| 2 | Sunday 22nd March | Forage & siting apiary/hives |
| 3 | Sunday 29th March | Pests & diseases – by Jack |
| 4 | Sunday 26th April | Swarming & Transporting bees |
| 5 | Sunday 10th May | Obtaining your bees & bee/apiary hygiene |
| 6 | Sunday 17th May | Hive & Stand construction |
| 7 | Sunday 7, 14, 28 June | Beekeeping Year Part 1 |
| 8 | Sunday 7, 14, 28 June | Beekeeping Year Part 2 |
| 9 | Sunday 5, 12,19 July | Honey extraction, labelling, selling etc |
Our secretary is happy to receive any queries regarding the course.
Winter Talks During the less active months, there is time to enhance and expand our knowledge and understanding of this wonderful superorganism; the honeybee colony. As we confirm speakers and topics, information will be made available. Usually, we limit the number of attendees to a maximum of 16 people, ergo, booking ones seat is a must.
Frame Replacement Two methods shall be discussed; Julie will demonstrate how to carry out a Bailey comb change and Chris will demonstrate how to undertake a shook swarm.
Regenerative Agriculture & Pollination Beekeepers, family and friends are invited to meet our local ecologist, Jamie Buxton – Gould
Queen Rearing Discussing the benefits of colony increase and detailing a practical approach to the process. Delivered by Kaҫpar of North Devon Bees, sharing his first hand knowledge so as to enable others to expand their colonies.
Venue: Castle Centre, Barnstaple EX31 1DR
10 February 2026 at 7pm
Please contact our secretary for further information