In his earlier days as a Vicar in Sussex, Andrew Tremlett, the Dean of Durham, had a half acre garden and was intrigued by the idea of keeping bees. After mentioning this to a friend, Andrew was soon gifted an empty beehive and attended a local Bee Fair where he took part in an auction for a nucleus of bees. Unfortunately when Andrew moved on to pastures new he couldn’t take the bees with him but did keep his bee keeping kit just in case. Since arriving at Durham Cathedral, Andrew has always thought it would be an ideal place to rekindle the old hobby and this week offered just the opportunity.
Following Evensong, the Dean, dressed in his bee suit and equipped with a beekeeping kit, ventured out to capture this perfect starter swarm. The process sounds simple but requires skill. Firstly, a box was placed beneath the swarm and the hedge was gently shaken. To further coax the colony inside, Andrew introduced the bees to the wax foundation, which they will use to build their honeycomb on. With this, the main clump of bees dropped down into the box, taking the queen bee with them.
A small procession formed to escort the bees to the Deanery. The swarm will be transferred into a permanent hive later this week and Andrew hopes they will stay to support the natural ecosystem around the Durham peninsula. If the bees settle into their new home successfully, the Dean plans to sell their honey in the Cathedral Shop next year. Funds raised through the sale of any honey produced will support care and conservation of the cathedral, and help serve the community through ministry and outreach work.