2008 Special Project

The special project for 2008 will be to build an Apiary using dry stone walling techniques.

The project will extend and test the skills of those who have previously attended our Beginners Course and preferably those who have attended at least one Improvers Course.


I keep my bees at the Pennine Camphill Community (http://www.pennine.org.uk/) near Wakefield which is a residential college for young people with special needs. These young people improve their lives by learning crafts, caring for the gardens and interacting with each other and the staff. The bees are an integral part of the community pollentating the flowers, fruit and vegtables grown by the students. Two members of staff, Alice and Felix, help me take care of the bees and hopefully some of the students will be able to help too.

Alice and Felix

I am currently working to increase the number of colonies at the Community year on year so that eventually there is a constant flow of honey being produced. My aim is to provide a home for these colonies and to provide a focal point for the Community by building the dry stone apiary. Originally I was going to build it myself but because it will use several different walling techniques to build, it will suit those past dry stone walling students so that they can learn new skills.


The course will take place in July or August 2008 and will be a week long in duration. There will be a maximum of 6 students on the course and, as mentioned previously, applicants will have had to have completed at least a Beginners Course and preferrably an Improvers Course.