Tranquillity Oak Garden Swing Seat Range

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 Tranquillity frame is the same depth at every size – 1.6m front to back – so width is the only measurement that changes.

• One seater: footprint 2.0m wide by 1.6m deep
• Two seater: 2.3m by 1.6m
• Three seater: 2.6m by 1.6m
• Four seater: 2.9m by 1.6m

Allow at least 50cm clear behind and in front of the frame so the seat can swing without touching planting or walls. Frame height is a max of 2m. For a larger, level area, the two and three seater are the sizes most often chosen for a lawn or terrace; the four seater suits a wide border or the end of a garden room.

Every Tranquillity seat takes the same oak frame; the back is where it becomes yours. Fan and Slat are the simplest and suit contemporary and cottage gardens alike. Curve softens the top rail into one long arc. Swirl carries a hand-cut spiral at the centre. Heart is our RHS-endorsed design and the one most often chosen for anniversaries and memorial pieces – it is made with Walton style arms only.

Not sure which suits your garden? Send us a photograph of the space and we will tell you what we would choose.

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 internal stress and 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 to two summers in the garden. 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, so there is nothing to rust or stain the oak.

Tranquillity is the oak range in its purest form: no paint, no stain, nothing between you and the timber. It is the one to choose if you want a seat that changes with the garden.

Guarantee. Oak pieces carry our five-year structural guarantee. Painted Accoya pieces are built on timber guaranteed by its manufacturer for 50 years above ground. 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 detail 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 seat has been neglected for a few years, our workshop can collect, restore and return it. See the refurbishment service.

A few additions, chosen after you have lived with the seat or at the point of order:

• Cushions made in our workshop by Maisie Shannon, in Agora solution-dyed acrylic that resists fading and dries quickly. See cushions
• Carved inscriptions – a name, a date or a line, hand-cut into the back rail. See carvings
• Embedded ammonites – a fossil from the Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis set into the timber. See ammonites
• Drinks shelves and a waterproof cover. All accessories

Something else in mind? Ask. Most of what we add now started as one customer's request.

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 the seat through a season first.

Buying from overseas? See international delivery – we have shipped to Europe and the US.

Delivery and installation are handled by Richard and Kevin of Saturn Removals, who have delivered our seats for years and know every one of them. They call ahead to agree a date and talk through access – gate widths, steps, slopes and where the piece will stand.

On the day they carry it into the garden, assemble it in position, level it and check it swings or sits true. Before they leave you are asked to sit in it. Installation is complete when you are happy with it, not before.

Delivery is nationwide across mainland UK. For Scottish Highlands, islands and anywhere with difficult access, call us first so we can plan it properly.

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.

The Tranquillity arrives in sections – frame legs, top beam and seat – and is assembled in place in about an hour.

Sitting Spiritually is endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, and our seats are placed in RHS gardens at Wisley, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr and Bridgewater – you can sit in one before you buy. See the RHS collection and where to see our seats.

The Heart Back is the design the RHS endorsement is most closely tied to. It is available on the Tranquillity in oak, and on the Affinity in painted Accoya.