Beekeeping at Goldhanger
There are indications of significant beekeeping activity and honey production in the past at Goldhanger. This was, and still is, all part of our mild climate close to the Estuary and the past local fruit growing (see 1960s Local Map). The relatively warm, dry and frost-free climate close to the Estuary, together with many early flowering fruit trees, lime and walnut trees, etc., is all unusually good for year-long bee foraging and honey production. This postcard, which is undated, shows Ralph Page’s Apiary at Old Rectory Farm...
The Page family farmed Old Rectory Farm from 1906 to the 1960s. They cultivated substantial fruit tree orchards on the east side of the village producing apples, plums, greengages, jam and honey. The bees would have had the important role of pollinating the fruit tree blossom. Some of their trees have “gone native” and still remain in the hedgerows around the village.
This Illustrated London News article of 1851 and two local reports describe Mr Ponder’s special beehive design on display in the Great Exhibition in London’s Crystal Palace, however no pictures were included...
			Mr Ponder lived opposite Beehive Cottages in the Bird-in-Hand. We can’t be sure, but one of the hives on Ralph Page’s Apiary postcard looks very different to the other hives shown that otherwise look like the conventional hive design, so this may well have been one of Mr Ponder’s glass topped versions.
This local newspaper cutting from 1926 describes a meeting of beekeepers in the New Rectory grounds, which suggests that the Rector of the day, the Revd. Frederick Gardner and his daughter Cynthia had an interest in beekeeping. We know that this wealthy family had a strong interest in supporting village activities...
Stanley Wilkin (1874-1946) kept many hives at Bounds Farm where substantial soft fruits and fruit tree orchards were (and are) grown in the south of the village. This is an extract from the 1933 edition of Bee Matters and Beemasters...
		The Beehive Cottages in Fish Street clearly have a past association with beekeeping. For many years the cottages belonged to the Johnson Family who also owned the allotments opposite, so they would have undoubtedly kept their beehive in these allotments (see... Aerial Views-Fist St. allotments), but they would also have moved them around the many orchards surrounding the village at that time.
today honey is again produced in Goldhanger and is available locally...
Beekeeping goes back thousands of years to the Chinese, the Greeks and the Romans and was prolific in the UK in medieval times. The activity has always involved not just honey production but also many other bee related products:
Beeswax	for candles & timekeeping at night when clocks weren’t available >>> for polishing: furniture & floors, and wood, brass, copper, silver, steels & glass and it’s also used in many ancient and modern cosmetic products							Roman Alarm Clock when the candle burnt down to the nail it dropped on to the metal based of the chamber stick ringing the alarm!
Mead	also called hydromel and honey wine is an ancient alcoholic drink
Apitherapy	alternative medicine practices using these bee products...
Royal Jelly	or Gelée royale said to have many health benefits
Propolis	or Bee Glue is a resinous mixture collected from buds by bees used in dermatology, cosmetics & health foods
Perga	or Bee Bread food for the Queen Bee containing every vitamin
Apitoxin	or Bee Venom powerful anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial effects
Honey	is also used to treat wounds and allergies

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