The RHS Rockabye rocking bench

Every piece is made by hand, so sizes can vary by a centimetre or two. The figures below are the largest you should plan for. If you are laying slabs or a base, wait until your piece is delivered and positioned, then set them to its feet.

• Two seater: 135cm wide
• Three seater: 165cm wide
• Both: 125cm high, seat 60cm deep

Oak

We build our seats and benches in Prime Grade air-dried European oak from Hewins Timber. Air drying seasons the timber slowly, over months rather than days, which reduces movement once the piece is outdoors.

Oak is left unpainted and unstained. It starts a warm honey colour and weathers to silver-grey over one or two summers outside. Grain, colour variation and the occasional small knot are part of the timber, not defects. Fine surface checks can open and close with the seasons; they do not affect strength.

Fixings are marine-grade stainless steel throughout, chosen to cope with salt air, so there is nothing to rust or stain the oak.

Painted Accoya

Our painted pieces are made in Accoya, a sustainably sourced timber modified all the way through by acetylation. The process changes how the wood takes on water, so Accoya barely swells or shrinks with the seasons – which is why paint stays on it. The timber manufacturer guarantees Accoya for 50 years above ground and 25 years in ground contact.

Stable timber lets us use a proper finish: five coats, sprayed in the workshop rather than dipped – stain block, primer, undercoat and two top coats. Colour holds through British winters without the flaking you see on painted softwood.

Guarantee. Every piece carries our five-year Sitting Spiritually guarantee, and painted Accoya pieces are built on timber guaranteed by its manufacturer for 50 years above ground. Our first seats, made in 2004, still sit in our Lyme Regis garden: the five years is a floor, not a ceiling. If something is wrong through our fault, we put it right at our cost. Full terms are on our guarantee page.

Care. Clean the timber a few times a year with sugar soap or our wood cleaner so algae and dirt do not settle in the grain, and avoid a high-pressure washer, which raises the grain. Leave new oak unoiled for its first two to three years while the natural tannins wash out; after that, a feeding oil once a year in spring keeps it nourished. Our refurbishment kit has everything needed. Painted Accoya needs only a wash down. More in aftercare and maintenance.

In the first season. Fresh oak releases tannin when it rains, which can mark new paving (Indian sandstone especially) until it has washed through – stand the feet on something for the first few months. Small dark marks around screw plugs are a reaction between the tannin and traces of iron in water; they are cosmetic and weather in.

Later on. If a piece has been left for a few years, our workshop can collect, restore and return it. See the refurbishment service.

Choose your size, finish and details above and order online, or call Nick on 01297 443084 if you would rather talk it through. Ordering online does not lock anything in: we call every customer within a few days to confirm placement, access and the finished specification before your piece goes to the workshop.

Most pieces are made to order in four to six weeks. As yours nears completion we send you a photograph from the workshop, then book a delivery date with you. Cushions, covers and other additions can be added later – many customers live with their piece through a season first.

Buying from overseas? See international delivery – we deliver to Europe, North America, Australia and beyond.

Your seat is delivered, carried into the garden, assembled in position and levelled by Richard and Kevin of Saturn Removals, who have delivered our seats for years. Before they leave you are asked to sit in it. Installation is complete when you are happy with it, not before.

They call ahead to agree a date and talk through access – gate widths, steps, slopes and where the seat will stand. Their vans are Transit-sized and a seat and frame will pass through a standard door, so most gardens are straightforward; if yours is not, tell us when you order and we will plan it.

Delivery is priced by postcode and shown in the basket. Assembly in position is an option at checkout (typically £47 on a swing seat); a seat and frame can also be put together by two adults if you prefer. Delivery covers mainland UK; for Scottish Highlands, islands or anywhere with difficult access, call us first.

Our relationship with the Royal Horticultural Society is a source of quiet pride. To be RHS endorsed reflects a shared commitment to quality, longevity and the enjoyment of gardens as places of restoration and beauty. The Heart Back holds particular significance within this partnership.

Its gentle motif - refined rather than ornate - speaks to the emotional connection people feel towards their gardens and those they share them with. Over time, it has become one of our most recognisable designs, often chosen for commemorative pieces and milestone gifts. Crafted in prime oak and made to live outdoors year-round, the Heart Back embodies both the romance and the rigour that underpin our RHS collaboration: enduring materials, British craftsmanship, and a design that feels entirely at home among borders, lawns and quiet garden rooms.