Dauntsey’s has revived its Bee Club, which ran originally in the early 1970s, and has received planning consent to build an ambitious new ecologically designed Apiary which will be the heart of the Club.
The timber Apiary, to be powered by solar panels, will provide a covered observation area for pupils to view the beehives. The hives will be in an undercover area, allowing the Club to run, regardless of the weather.
The building, which will be completed by September, will include a classroom, workshop and storage facilities. The Apiary is part of a larger initiative from the School which will also see the expansion of wildflower meadows.
Barry Roberts, a member of staff at Dauntsey’s who has spearheaded the Bee Club, said: “Bees perform a vital role in agriculture through pollination and, living in rural Wiltshire, we felt it was important for the School to learn more about them.
“We plan to start our colony with two hives to house honeybees. There has been a lot of interest from the pupils in the Club and we are busy investigating what to expect when the hives arrive and getting to know the equipment.
“It will be amazing to get up close, safely, to the hives from the viewing area, see the bees at work and understand how they operate within the colony.”