World Bee Day

World Bee Day

Wed, 20 May 2026

This World Bee Day, we are celebrating the remarkable role bees play both at Claremont and in the wider environment around us.

Bees beautifully reflect the values we hold dear at Claremont — curiosity, care for the natural world and an appreciation for the small things that make a big difference. They are essential to the biodiversity of our historic grounds and have long been part of Claremont’s story.

As a child living at Claremont, Princess Alice of Athlone — namesake of the nearby Princess Alice Hospice in West End — loved playing with the mansion’s bee-shaped brass keyhole covers, which still watch over the pupils buzzing through our corridors today. In the 1960s, bees flourished in hives within the Junior School’s Walled Garden, and today they are thriving once again in new hives nestled in the woodlands behind our Forest School.

Rescued from a fallen tree on the estate, these bees are now busy producing Claremont’s very own honey. Claremont’s honey can bought for £10 a jar at the following link: www.beesmax.org/product/claremont-clear-honey-340g/

You can also buy a jar on Gala day which is or annual Claremont fair taking place on 20 June.

You may also have spotted Claremont’s crocheted and knitted bees at local community events, including Ditton Fair on 10 May. Created by members of our alumni and school community, they are helping to spread Claremont’s “bee curious” spirit far and wide!

Today, on World Bee Day, we celebrate the tiny pollinators that have helped shape Claremont’s past and will continue to guide its future. Happy World Bee Day to our whole community!