The story behind Ashdown Forest Honey
Hello !
I’m Robert Clark, the beekeeper behind Ashdown Forest Honey. My journey into beekeeping began right here at Ghylls Plat in Duddleswell, where my family and I have lived for over 20 years as commoners of Ashdown Forest.
In 2023, a local beekeeper first placed a couple of hives in our one-acre wildlife garden, sparking a deep fascination with bees. By 2024, I had taken over caring for the hives myself, turning a shared passion for nature into a dedicated beekeeping venture.
Our Wildlife Haven
Our garden is much more than an apiary—it’s a thriving habitat designed with nature in mind. We’ve dedicated much of our land to supporting wildlife and sustainable living. Bees, butterflies, reptiles and birds find refuge among the wildflowers, orchard trees, and natural spaces.
A Connection To The Forest
Living on Ashdown Forest has shaped how we care for our bees. The rich, diverse flora of the heathland, combined with our commitment to eco-friendly gardening, allows our bees to produce exceptional, raw honey that reflects the unique character of this ancient landscape.
Every jar of Ashdown Forest Honey is a celebration of nature, beekeeping tradition, and the special bond between bees, people, and this remarkable place we are fortunate to call home.
A Commitment To Quality
At Ashdown Forest Honey, quality isn’t an afterthought — it’s at the heart of everything we do. From our low‑intervention beekeeping in the ancient woodlands of Ashdown Forest to the care we take in every jar we produce, we’re committed to maintaining the highest standards
We’re proud to be members of the Guild of Fine Food, an organisation that champions artisan producers and upholds the very best in food quality. This membership reflects our dedication to crafting honey that not only tastes exceptional but is made with integrity, respect for the bees, and a deep connection to the land they forage.
A Sustainable Approach To Beekeeping
Ashdown Forest Honey is gathered in the heart of one of Britain’s most precious habitats — the ancient lowland heath of Ashdown Forest. Here, our bees range freely over gorse-covered heath, flowering bramble, wild bilberry, and the sun-warmed edges of woodland. It’s a rare, ecologically rich landscape — one we’re privileged to share with our bees.
Our beekeeping is small-scale, quiet, and bee-led. Colonies are free to raise drones, build queen cells, and follow their natural instincts. Swarming is welcomed, not suppressed. Most of our bees come from local swarms or our own splits — resilient, self-sufficient stock, well adapted to this wild place.
We avoid routine weekly inspections. While opening a hive and dismantling the brood box is common in modern beekeeping, it is still a major disruption — breaking the thermal envelope, disturbing pheromone balance, and scattering the colony’s organisation. Instead, we watch and listen from the outside, opening hives only when there’s a clear reason. This low-intervention approach keeps colonies calmer and more self-regulating — on their own terms.
The result is exceptional, single-apiary honey: raw, unpasteurised, and bottled in small seasonal batches — never blended, never heat-treated, never rushed. Our bees feed only on the natural good things — wild heathland flowers, hedgerows, and nearby gardens. They are never taken to pollinate commercial crops, reducing the risk of agricultural chemicals and supporting a richer, more varied diet.
We bottle in British-made glass jars, use recyclable packaging, and sell our honey locally. Everything we do reflects a simple belief: put the bees first, and everything else will follow.
