Boglands Bees began when a wild colony of Irish black bees chose to settle in an old building on the land at Boglands Hideaway. Rather than remove them, we decided to work with the bees and learn from their natural way of living.

From that single wild colony grew a small apiary. We currently keep five Warré hives, with more to come if we continue to do things right. Each hive was built by hand using locally sourced spruce, reflecting a desire to keep things simple, sustainable, and in harmony with the environment.

At Boglands Bees, the focus has always been on minimal intervention. We believe the bees know best how to care for themselves when given the right conditions. Our role is to support them gently — allowing them to build their own natural comb, swarm when conditions are favourable, and live according to their instincts.

This respectful approach to beekeeping is part of a larger vision at Boglands. Alongside the bees, plans are underway for Boglands Forge and traditional skills such as roof thatching, creating a place where people can reconnect with nature and old crafts.

Boglands Bees is not about large-scale honey production. It is about preserving a quiet, thoughtful way of working with bees — one that puts their wellbeing first.