The Apiary At The Railway-Crossing Cottage, Compton, Berkshire

Every so often I discover an apiary at a surprising location, and one such place, albeit in a photograph, was in the back garden of a railway-crossing cottage at Compton, Berks. This article tells the story of C W Dyer and his wife Sarah, their beekeeping activities, and the railway which served the Berkshire Downs. I finish by considering why Charles Dyer was able to adopt the modern version of the beekeeping, when so many in the countryside were abandoning the craft.