The Bee Shelter, Hartpury
The Bee Shelter, Hartpury, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire is a 19th-century bee shelter. It is a Grade II* listed structure.
| The Bee Shelter, Hartpury | |
|---|---|
 "a remarkable Neo-Jacobean beehive shelter" | |
| Type | Bee shelter |
| Location | Hartpury, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire |
| Coordinates | 51.911°N 2.3193°W |
| Built | c.1840 |
| Architectural style(s) | Jacobethan |
| Governing body | Privately owned |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name: Bee Shelter Approximately 50 Metres East of St Mary the Virgin | |
| Designated | 18 October 1985 |
| Reference no. | 1341879 |
  Location of The Bee Shelter, Hartpury in Gloucestershire | |
History and description
The bee shelter was originally located in Nailsworth[1] and was moved to the grounds of Hartpury College in 1968,[2] before being relocated to the churchyard of St Mary's Church in 2002.[2] Until the late 20th century, the beehive shelter was believed to date from the early 17th century and that it functioned as a beehive rack.[1] Recent research has confirmed that it was constructed in the 19th century as a bee shelter by the stonemason Paul Tuffley, a member of a prominent Gloucestershire family of masons, stone merchants and quarrymasters.[1] The date can be confirmed by the stone tooling marks on the shelter, which are "typically Victorian" and by the reference made to the shelter in a deed dating from 1852.[1]
The shelter is 7.3m long and 2.1m high, and comprises three tiers of shelving separated by pilasters.[1] The structure is elaborately decorated.[1]
Notes
- England, Historic. "BEE SHELTER APPROXIMATELY 50 METRES EAST OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, Hartpury – 1341879- Historic England". historicengland.org.uk.
- Verey & Brooks 2002, p. 530.
References
- Verey, David; Brooks, Alan (2002) [1970]. Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean. The Buildings of England. Yale University Press. ISBN 0 300 09733 6.