The Barnyard Apiaries

Beekeeping Courses
Honey and Wax Products

About The BarnYard Apiaries

The Barnyard Apiaries are located in the village of Litlington in South Cambridgeshire. The barns, which were originally working buildings for nearby Mossbury Farm, were converted into dwellings about 25 years ago. The land comprises approximately 1.5 acres including a mature garden, a wild flower meadow, an orchard and small spinney where the beehives are located. The Bee Barn, dating from around 1790, holds the apiary storage, honey processing facility and the teaching room. The mature garden is pollinator centric.

Courses and Products

Beekeeping Courses - Dates in 2025 now available.............. See below.

Beekeeping Courses - Dates in 2025 now available.............. See below.

We run a range of day and half day courses suitable for non-beekeepers and for those with more experience. Jonathan, your instructor, has been a bee keeper for 20 years and was a Seasonal Bee Inspector for five years with the National Bee Unit (Animal and Plant Health Agency).

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Honey

Honey

From our small scale honey production facility we produce runny and soft set honey.

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Bees Wax products

Bees Wax products

We sell raw beeswax and beeswax furniture polish.

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The Barnyard Apiaries' pollinator centric garden is open to course attendees to visit.

The Barnyard Apiaries' pollinator centric garden is open to course attendees to visit.

Have a guided tour of the garden.

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THE BARNYARD GARDEN's Pollinators and other insect LIFE

THE BARNYARD GARDEN VIEWS

Vicky Buckle - (PhD student Anglia Ruskin University)

Survey 2023 Interim Reports

Vicky is undertaking a research project into the impact of honeybees on other pollinators, ie hoverflys, solitary bees and bumblebees and is using the The Barnyard, Litlington as one of her observation sites. She has logged the species she observed during the year.

Bumblebee Species observed at The Barnyard

This graph shows the percentage of different types of bumblebee observed in 2023.

Solitary Bee Species observed at The Barnyard

This graph shows the percentage of different types of solitary bees observed in 2023.

Hoverfly species

This graph shows the percentage of different types of hoverflies observed in 2023.

The BEE BARN and SUMMER HOUSE

  • The Bee Barn

  • The Honey Room

  • Teaching Area

  • Summer House

F.A.Q

Please wear long sleeved shirt and trousers. Bring wellies. Washing up gloves.
Coffee/Tea and biscuits are provided.
Yes, but for biosecurity reasons, please ensure it is clean.
For biosecurity reasons we only use disposable or washable gloves in our apiaries.
Clean washing up gloves are acceptable.
Vegetable soup, roll and cheese.
Cake.
Of course if you wish, bring your own lunch.
2025 price list:

Bee Aquaint half day session, 9am till 1pm - £55
Good Beekeeping Practical session, 10am till 4pm - £95
Pest and disease recognition session , 9am till 1pm - £55
National Hive building instruction, 9am till 1pm - £55
Custom courses - please contact us with your requirements.

If your course involves a visit to the apiary and the weather is inclement (cold, wet or windy) we will not be able to open the hives.
If the forecast for the day is clearly going to be bad we will contact you the day before the course. In this situation you will receive a full refund or the opportunity of an alternative date.
If we have to cancel a visit to the apiary during the day of the course, you will receive a 50% refund or the opportunity of an alternative date to visit the apiary.

You may cancel at any time up to the day before the course and will receive a full refund.

Testimonials

 '... I very much enjoyed our practical session with you in your apiary last Friday. Together with the previous session where you dealt with the theoretical side of bee keeping, the course has given us a great deal of crucial information and confidence as we start out as beekeepers. It was also a pleasure to see where you keep your bees and process honey and to have Christine give us some advice about plants which bees find attractive. We now have a much better idea of what we need to get in terms of kit and what we need to practice when we tend our bees. Thank you both very much for your support and hospitality. We will certainly recommend your course to any friends or family who want to start beekeeping......' 

Ian M

 '....we had a very interesting and informative day learning about bees. Jonathan is very knowledgeable and has an easy teaching style. There is lots of interaction with the hives and follow up information. A lovely lunch was provided and the location and hospitality was perfect! Thank you.....' 

Gerry P

 This was a brilliant day learning and interacting with the bees and Jonathan is extremely patient, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his subject. Nothing was too much trouble and we learnt a huge amount. 

Stephen G.

 Jonathan’s three hour ‘Bee Acquaint Session’ introduction to Bee Keeping was first class , incorporating both an excellent presentation on the basics and also hands on inspection of his own apiary on site in his wonderful bee friendly garden. As a former Bee Inspector he has a wealth of knowledge and experience to impart and did so in a friendly way assisted by excellent coffee and biscuits supplied by his wife. Great value and very enjoyable. “ 

John V.

 ..."Thanks again for today, very informative, and really helpful being able to get hands on. And thanks for the lunch and tea throughout the day too. Lots learnt and certainly going to be looking to get my own hive in the future, whether at home or at work....." 

Darren E.

 "....Just wanted to say how much the boys and I enjoyed the bee keeping course on Wednesday it was brilliant Thank you and your garden is just lovely..." 

Sacha W.

 Just fantastic. Thank you so much for a truly memorable day, being in a bee suit was certainly one of life’s goals! I can’t wait to keep learning. 

Lindsey R-E

 "I had an absolutely brilliant morning on the half day Bee Acquaint. Jonathan was generous with his knowledge and the chance to get up close and see the bees in action was a wonderful experience. Five stars!" 

Gina F

 I was given the introductory course to bee keeping as a gift by friends who know how much I love bees. Jonathan provides a friendly well paced and pitched course. I found standing among the hives so immersed in the bee’s world a unique experience I will never forget. 

Jane C S
  

Contact

  • The Barnyard, Silver Street, Litlington,SG8 0QE

Phone or Email Jonathan Baynes