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Frequently Asked Questions Around Garden Benches
How do I choose between your bench designs?
Start with where it will sit and how you will use it. The RHS Four Seasons is a three-seat heritage bench with a carved season, made for a border or the end of a long view. The Knole has sides that fold down as a backrest or out as a table, for settling in with a book. The Floating Bench is contemporary, with a back and arms that appear to hover. The Rockabye rocks gently, which suits a small space. Our classic benches take the same six back styles as our swing seats.
What is carved into the RHS Four Seasons Bench?
One season, carved by hand into the back rail: daffodils for spring, a rose for summer, oak leaf and acorn for autumn, or snowdrops for winter. Steve Wood carves each one in his Dorset workshop, into the bench itself, so the carving silvers with it rather than sitting on top. A dedication can be carved beneath. The bench is licensed and endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society and measures 180cm wide, 110cm high and 68cm deep.
What makes the Floating Bench different?
It holds the Design Guild Mark, awarded for outstanding British furniture design, and was designed with Simon Thomas Pirie. The back and arms are set so they appear to float above the seat. It is made in solid oak in a natural finish, a pale Blond or a scorched Noir, in one, two or three-seat sizes.
Can I have a bench carved or inscribed?
Yes. Hand-carved inscriptions cost £17.40 a character including VAT, with a minimum of £120. Most people choose a name and dates, a line of poetry or a phrase the family uses. We can also carve flowers, birds and trees, a birth flower for a particular month, or set a Jurassic Coast ammonite into the arm. We send a proof before any carving starts.
Do you make memorial benches?
Yes, and many of our benches are made in someone's memory. Nick will talk you through the timber, the design and the wording, at whatever pace suits you. We send a proof of the inscription before carving and you can change it until you are happy. If the bench is going into a public garden, a churchyard or a spot that is left unattended, we add ground fixings so it cannot be moved.
Can a bench go in public or unattended spaces?
Yes, with ground fixings. Our benches stand in RHS Gardens Wisley, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr and Bridgewater, where thousands of visitors use them every year. For a park, churchyard, school or memorial garden, add fixings so the bench is secured to the ground. Ask the landowner or parish about their rules before you order.
Which timber are the benches made from?
Air-dried, Sterling grade European oak for most benches, which silvers over one or two summers. The Rockabye and our classic benches are also made in painted Accoya for a colour that stays. Both are built on marine-grade stainless steel fixings. Our swing seat FAQs explain why oak checks and silvers and what Accoya's 50-year warranty covers.
How long will an oak bench last?
Decades, with a clean once or twice a year. Every new bench carries our five-year guarantee against faults in materials or workmanship, and our oldest Kyokusen has stood outside for 20 years in the same oak. When a bench needs it, our workshop restores it: send photographs and we quote before any work starts. Restoration takes around four weeks.
How much does a bench cost?
The RHS Four Seasons Bench is £5,375, the Knole from £4,860 for a two-seat and £4,985 for a three-seat, and the Rockabye from £3,435 in oak or £4,605 painted. Prices include VAT. Inscriptions are priced by the character. Delivery is quoted by postcode.
Where can I see a bench before I order?
At our show garden at Forde Abbey, near Chard, by appointment. Our benches are also in RHS Gardens Wisley, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr and Bridgewater. The Swirl Bench stands in the Hilltop garden at Wisley. Call us on 01297 443084 before a special trip and we will check.
Quietly settled into the garden
Placed against borders, beneath trees and at the end of long views, our benches are made to be lived with for decades. These are the words of the people who chose them.
Our Bench Collection
We make six distinct bench designs, each with its own character and purpose. Whether you're looking for a heritage garden seat with Arts and Crafts lines, a contemporary centrepiece, or a gentle rocking bench for a smaller space, there's something here that will feel right for your garden.
The RHS Four Seasons Bench
Inspired by our RHS Centenary Bench, the Four Seasons is a three-seater oak bench with four hand-carved seasonal inserts - a daffodil for spring, a rose for summer, oak leaves for autumn and a snowdrop for winter. Strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, it's licensed and endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society and sits in several of their gardens. An heirloom bench that celebrates the turning of the year.
The RHS Knole Garden Bench
A modern take on the 17th-century Knole Settee, with adjustable sides that fold down for back support or extend outward to hold a drink and a book. Available as a two or three seater in FSC oak, with rope-tied finials and a generous seat depth. It's the kind of bench that invites you to settle in properly.
The Swirl Bench
A contemporary three-seater in solid oak with flowing, asymmetrical lines that feel more like sculpture than furniture. Currently displayed at RHS Garden Wisley in the Hilltop Garden. If your taste runs more modern than traditional, this is the bench.
The Floating Bench
Made in textured, scorched and natural solid oak, the Floating Bench is crafted so the backrest and arms appear to hover. Available as a one, two or three seater, it's a striking piece that catches the eye from across the garden.
Why Oak - and Why It Matters
We work primarily with FSC-sourced prime European oak - a timber with a long history in British furniture making. Oak is dense, naturally durable, and resistant to the worst of what the British weather can deliver. Left untreated, it slowly mellows from warm honey tones to a soft silver-grey over the years. It won't rot, warp or split the way softer timbers do, and with basic seasonal care a well-made oak bench will last fifteen years or more.
For our painted ranges, we use Accoya - a modified softwood with exceptional dimensional stability and a 25-year manufacturer warranty. It holds paint beautifully through a five-coat process (stain block, primer, undercoat and two top coats) and doesn't swell, shrink or crack between seasons. It's the material of choice when you want a colour that lasts.
We also work with Western Red Cedar for selected pieces in our RHS Serenity range - lighter in weight with a warm, aromatic character.
Every bench is finished with marine-grade stainless steel fixings throughout. No mild steel, no plating, no rusting bolt heads after the first winter.
Image: A finished RHS Four Seasons Bench photographed on the makers workbench.
"Worth every penny"
We wanted to select a very special bench in memory of my husband's sudden passing. From our very first interaction, we were warmly guided through the selection and design process and were able to add personalised detailing to our gorgeous autumnal bench. The craftsmanship is outstanding and the generous, comfortable design of our bench has made it an attractive centrepiece in the garden as well as a fitting space to reflect.
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Garden Bench Expert Advice
Expert guidance and garden design advice for our stunning range of handmade garden benches.
Personalised Memorial Garden Benches
A bench often marks something that matters - a life, a place, a milestone. We take particular care with these commissions.
Our inscriptions are hand-carved by our team, with characters individually cut into the timber. You might choose a name and dates, a line from a poem, a family motto, or something known only to you. We can also carve decorative elements - a favourite tree, a flower, a bird - or set a Jurassic Coast ammonite into the arm or back of the bench for something entirely distinctive.
For memorial benches specifically, we guide you through the process from first conversation to delivery. Many of our customers have told us this experience - choosing the wood, the style, the words - becomes part of the tribute itself.
Our Birth Flower carvings offer twelve designs, one for each month of the year, giving a personalised touch that connects the bench to a particular person or time.
If you have something specific in mind, we'd welcome the conversation. We've been making bespoke commemorative benches for over twenty years, and there's very little we can't accommodate.
How It Works - From First Enquiry To Your Garden
Every bench is made to order. There's no warehouse, no flatpack, no off-the-shelf - just a team of makers in our Devon workshop building your bench from the timber up.
When you get in touch, we'll talk through what you're looking for: the setting, the size, the back style, any personalisation. If you're local, you're welcome to visit our show garden at Forde Abbey and try our benches in person - it's the best way to feel the difference. For everyone else, our brochure gives a thorough overview, and we're always on the phone.
From there, we confirm your commission, and your bench goes into production. Typical lead times are four to six weeks, though we can sometimes work faster if timing is tight. We send progress photographs along the way, so you can see your bench take shape.
When it's ready, our delivery team brings it to you fully assembled - placed exactly where you want it in the garden. No self-assembly, no leftover fixings, no guesswork.
Living Outdoors: Care and the Beauty of Weathering
Our benches are built to stay outside all year. Oak doesn't need to be brought in for winter or wrapped in covers (though we do make waterproof pull-over covers for customers who prefer them).
Over the first year or two, untreated oak will gradually lose its golden colour and settle into a soft silver-grey patina. This is natural, desirable, and one of the things that makes oak furniture look more at home in a garden over time rather than less.
To keep your bench in good condition, the main thing is to clean it periodically to prevent algae build-up - warm water and a soft brush are all you need. If you'd like to maintain the original honey tones, an annual feed with a quality teak or garden furniture oil will do the job. We supply aftercare kits with everything included.
Accoya painted benches need less attention still. The five-coat paint system is designed to hold its colour and resist peeling. An occasional wipe-down is usually all that's required.
All our benches carry a five-year guarantee. With proper care, you should expect fifteen years or more of use - and if your bench does eventually need attention, our refurbishment service will collect it, restore it in our workshop, and return it looking as good as the day it arrived.
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