Almost too small to be a building, this structure is simply too special to ignore. It is a shelter containing 33 niches or boles to accommodate straw bee skeps, the traditional English forerunners of bee hives. There is nothing else like it in the world.
The shelter was originally made in the Gloucestershire town of Nailsworth by a stone mason, Paul Tuffley, some time between 1824 and 1852. Its carved scrollwork decoration shows that Tuffley was an accomplished carver and from the beginning the structure must have looked impressive. By the 1960s, though, it was unused - the bee skep had long been replaced by the wooden hive and the shelter looked likely to be demolished. But it was rescued and resited at Hartpury Agricultural College - only to be moved once more to Hartpury churchyard in 2002, when it was thoroughly restored. It's still there, showing how well housed some of Gloucestershire's bees once were.
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Every effort is made to make sure that all the information is correct but we strongly recommend that you call Hartpury Historic Bee Shelter before you set off on your day out to confirm opening times and admission prices.
Please also note that the position on Google maps for Hartpury Historic Bee Shelter is a rough estimate using their postcode in the database and might be slightly out.
It may also be worth clicking the web link for Hartpury Historic Bee Shelter to see if there are any special events coming up or currently on.
Hartpury Historic Bee Shelter