The oak garden pergola

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.

The pergola is sized to the swing seat it carries:

• For a two seater: 2.3m by 1.6m
• For a three seater: 2.6m by 1.6m
• For a four seater: 2.9m by 1.6m

For another size, see bespoke pergolas.

A pergola built for climbing plants only has to hold itself up and the weight of the plants. One that carries a swing seat also takes the weight of the people on it and the sideways push every time it moves. Ours are designed and jointed for that load, which is why we hang our own swing seats and day beds from them – and why we would ask to see any other pergola before hanging a seat from it.

Plant it up and it becomes a room: wisteria, roses, clematis and honeysuckle all take well to oak. See pergolas and garden rooms.

Our pergolas are built in fresh-sawn green oak from Hewins Timber, chosen for structural strength. Green oak is worked before it has dried, which is how oak-framed buildings have been made for centuries.

It then seasons in your garden. As the timber dries over the first year or two, the joints draw tighter and the frame becomes stiffer. You will see splits (called shakes or checks) open along the grain and small movements at the joints. This is expected and does not weaken the structure – it is the oak settling into its final shape. The pergola weathers to the same silver-grey as an oak seat.

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.

Pergola drinks shelves, glasses holders and a seat of your choice. For a narrower opening, see pergola arches.

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 finished seat is delivered with the same care with which it was made. We work with Richard and Kevin of Saturn Removals, a trusted specialist team who our customers speak of immensely highly. They understand our products, our standards and the importance of a calm, unhurried experience on the day.

Ahead of delivery, you will be contacted directly to confirm a convenient date and time slot. This conversation also allows us to discuss access in detail - from driveways and garden paths to positioning - so everything runs smoothly on the day.

On arrival, your seat is carefully carried into your garden and installed in the exact position you have chosen. The team will assemble and set it up on site, ensuring it sits level and swings freely. Before they leave, you are warmly invited to take a seat and gently sway - making sure it feels exactly as it should. Only when you are completely happy do we consider the installation complete.

It is a considered service, designed to make the final step of the journey as reassuring as the 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.