The Bee Fort

In 2017, the Volunteer Group of Landgoed de Utrecht built a “bee fort” here near the Broekeling, on the site where one is believed to have stood in the early Middle Ages. The design of the fort was based as closely as possible on the original.  A sketch by Schotel served as a model for the reconstruction. The apiary is situated in an old clay pit and is surrounded by a square-shaped, historic earthen embankment designed to provide shelter from the wind.

The entrance to the apiary faces east, allowing the early morning sun to warm the hives and quickly activate the bees. This orientation also provides shade from the sun’s intensity later in the day.

Of the many thousands of bee enclosures throughout the Netherlands, only one remained, near Naarden in the Gooi region. This one at the Landgoed de Utrecht estate has now been added to that number.

This text has been translated using AI.