Folklore of bees and beekeeping
I stumbled on an article in the 1914 edition of ‘The Bee-keepers Record’ about the folklore of bees and beekeeping. Mr J. Smallwood’s article describes the myths and folklore of … Read more
William Woodley
William Woodley | Bee-farmer, Showman, Writer.
William Woodley (1845 – 1923) was a Victorian bee-farmer who once had Britain’s largest bee-farm. He became famous in beekeeping circles for consistently winning top prizes at national honey-shows for his comb sections. Furthermore, he was a contributor for two of the most prestigious beekeeping journals in the country, namely ‘The British Bee Journal’ and ‘The Bee-keepers Record’. His body of writing, over a thirty-plus year period, has left an invaluable commentary about the social, economic and technological changes transforming the way of life on the Berkshire Downs.
Below are my articles which explore the world of William Woodley.
Wasps, Robbers, Woodley, Writing!
BHYS Show Ep 5 starts at my apiary, which is located on a remote part of the Berkshire Downs. I discuss a big problem at this time of year – … Read more
Beedon’s drinking water
William Woodley wrote about Beedon’s drinking water, or more specifically its wells. Wells played a critical role suppling the village with water, and the importance of easy access to water … Read more
Berkshire bee van: how I researched it
I urge you to get a copy of November’s month’s Bee Craft magazine – the Berkshire bee van is in it! 20 months ago I received an email from Richard … Read more
William Woodley’s Christmases In Beedon
Yuletide is upon us, so I thought it would be a pleasant diversion to revisit William Woodley’s Christmases in Beedon. The passages below are taken from his writings both in … Read more
Around William Woodley’s Apiary, Worlds End, Beedon
‘Around William Woodley’s Apiary, Worlds End, Beedon’ is an update of a blog post I did in 2014. The purpose of the post was to review the features in the … Read more
The Story of William Woodley and the World’s First Mass-Produced Car (Benz Velo)
In this article, I explore the history of a ‘Benz Velo Comfortable’ motor car, which once resided in the village of Beedon. This vehicle was once owned by William Woodley … Read more
The Apiary At Crossing Cottage, Compton, Berkshire.
Every so often I discover an apiary at a surprising location, and one such place, albeit in a photograph, was in the back garden of a railway-crossing cottage at Compton, … Read more
William Woodley – An Introduction
I will be publishing a series of posts about William Woodley (Beekeeper) in the forthcoming weeks and months. To set the stage for this endeavour, I summarise below William Woodley’s … Read more