Bee bole

[1][2] Bee boles and other protective structures for skeps are found across almost the whole of the British Isles, particularly in areas exposed to wind and/or rain, such as eastern Scotland, northern and south-western England, and parts of Wales.

Among the many walled gardens with bee boles, two fine examples at properties open to the public are: Packwood House, Warwickshire (Register No.

The 18th and 19th centuries seem to have been the heyday of bee bole construction, especially on large country house estates, although many were also built on farms or in cottage gardens.

The base upon which the skep sits is variable in design - circular, semicircular or square - and occasionally has a protruding lip for the bees to alight upon when they return from foraging.

The example at the Queen's Head Inn, Tirril, in the English Lake District, has sandstone slabs placed vertically and horizontally to produce several cavities for skeps.

An ornate example set into a wall at Kersland House in Stewarton, Ayrshire, Scotland was an alcove with carved decorations.

A bee shelter is a wooden or stone structure, built against a wall or free-standing, with one or more shelves to accommodate several skeps.

[citation needed] The arrangement of 'hedge alcoves' occasionally seen in formal gardens may be a form of bee bole, such as at Erddig Hall in Clwyd, Wales, although this is not certain.