Rosslyn Chapel was haven for bees

Subject: Rosslyn Chapel was haven for bees Sun Apr 04, 2010 2:37 pm

Rosslyn Chapel was haven for bees

An ancient chapel has revealed a new mystery with the discovery of a 600-year-old hive built into the stones.
Builders renovating Rosslyn Chapel, which was made famous in The Da Vinci Code, found the "unprecedented" hive while dismantling a rooftop pinnacle.
The bees entered the hive through a hole in a carved flower crafted by the chapel's master stone masons.
The 15th Century Midlothian building is undergoing a £13m conservation and site improvement project.
The discovery was made when two pinnacles, which had been made unstable by nesting jackdaws, had to be taken down stone by stone and rebuilt.
Malcolm Mitchell, of Page Park Architects, said: "It was a big hollow about the size of a gas cylinder and the hive had obviously been abandoned."
'Teasing' masons
It is believed that the bees left the hive when a canopy was put over the chapel during renovation works. Another pinnacle had a similar hollow, but no access hole.
"Master masons built these in, whether it was under direction or not. What you find at Rosslyn is there are so many irregularities and nuances in the stone work and it's as if the stone masons are teasing us from the past," Mr Mitchell said.
"These hives were never intended to be a source of honey. They were there purely to protect the bees from our inclement weather."
"There doesn't seem to be any precedent.
"Bee hives in the past were normally portable. Often they were made of wicker baskets or ceramics, but the intention was that you would have access to them.
"At Rosslyn they are there purely for the bees."
He said there appeared to be a coating to protect the sandstone from the insects, which can damage masonry.
The hive has been sent to local beekeepers in an attempt to identify the type of insect that made them.
It is hoped the bees will return once the renovation works are complete.
Several unusual findings have been made during the project, including two skeletons.

Guest

They should definitely have more pics.... and more info on the skeletons!

Subject: Re: Rosslyn Chapel was haven for bees Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:20 pm

^ I agree!

But I don't agree with those "hives" being there purely for the bees. There must have been some kind of crop being raised near by that needed pollination.

I would of thought if the bees did leave their hive when the canopy was put on the chapel that someone working around there would have seen them. Even one or two and could tell what type of "insect" made them. I have lived to understand that most creatures don't usually leave or behave happily when something is a'miss near home sweet home.

I even somewhat question that the masons made those that way for bees.
What about for bats? One had an entery and one did not? What side facing was the one with the opening? Or... having had in mind the pinnicle hollows being used as a home by anything. They remind me of water collectors.

Who knows. The entry might have not even have been put there by the masons. Could something have possibly worked it, of all weak places in the stone, it just happening to be, in the center of the flower?

Aw..Then again, there might just have been coversations held between a honey bee, while attracted to salt left on the stone from the hands and a mason whose heart & work were lightened by the company. And the stone work having been made a home for a bee.