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.