{"product_id":"round-circular-storytelling-bench-schools","title":"Circular Storytelling Ring Seating — Douglas Fir","description":"\u003cp\u003eCircular storytelling ring seating hand-built from solid Douglas Fir — purpose-designed for outdoor classrooms, story circles, and school grounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Wakefield Council commissioned a set of circular ring seating for the grounds of Pontefract Castle in West Yorkshire, they wanted something that could hold a whole class and feel rooted in the landscape around it. The brief called for sturdy, weather-resistant seating that would serve the castle's visitor programme for years to come — and so this design was born. Each ring is built in solid Douglas Fir, with curved sections that slot together around a central space, drawing every child's gaze inward toward whoever is holding the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The curved bench form is shaped to encourage eye contact and natural focus: no child has their back to the teller. Whether it's a class reading circle, a forest school session, or an outdoor performance space, the ring seating makes the act of gathering feel intentional.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOverall diameter: approx 250 cm (contact us for custom sizing)\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSeat height: approx 40 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAccommodates: 20–30 children depending on configuration\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSolid Douglas Fir construction\u003c\/strong\u003e — strong, stable, naturally weather-resistant timber\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChoose your finish\u003c\/strong\u003e — supplied unvarnished as standard, or add three coats of Epifanes yacht varnish for lasting colour and sheen (+£50)\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSolid hand-built joinery throughout\u003c\/strong\u003e — built to last on school grounds\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCircular configuration\u003c\/strong\u003e — draws focus inward, ideal for storytelling and circle time\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eModular sections\u003c\/strong\u003e — can be configured to suit your space\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCommissioned by Wakefield Council\u003c\/strong\u003e — proven in public heritage settings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eYour Version\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRing seating can be sized to your outdoor space — larger or smaller diameter, higher or lower seating, with or without a central feature such as a storytelling throne or carved totem. We can carve a school name, a motto, or a nature motif into the backrest. Tell us your space and your story and we'll design around both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTypical lead time is 4–5 weeks, though we're flexible if you have a deadline. \u003cstrong\u003ePrices include VAT.\u003c\/strong\u003e Schools can order by purchase order — we'll supply our VAT number, bank details and address for supplier registration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse our full range of \u003ca href=\"\/en-de\/collections\/storytelling-chairs\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eoutdoor storytelling chairs\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/en-de\/collections\/school-outdoor-furniture\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eschool outdoor furniture\u003c\/a\u003e, or \u003ca href=\"\/en-de\/products\/giant-storytelling-bench\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eview the Giant Storytelling Bench\u003c\/a\u003e for a complementary piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFinish\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece is supplied \u003cstrong\u003eunvarnished\u003c\/strong\u003e as standard. Left natural, solid timber slowly weathers to a soft, silvery-grey — completely normal for outdoor timber, a graceful way for a piece to age, and with \u003cstrong\u003eno maintenance needed\u003c\/strong\u003e. If you’d prefer to bring out the grain and warm, honeyed tones, choose the \u003cstrong\u003evarnished\u003c\/strong\u003e option (+£50) and we’ll hand-apply three coats of Epifanes, a premium marine yacht varnish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; font-weight:bold;\"\u003eMore about the two finishes\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-top:8px;\"\u003eOutdoor furniture takes a real beating from sun and weather. Left natural, an unvarnished piece simply silvers over time and asks nothing of you. A varnished piece keeps its rich sheen for a couple of years; after that the varnish may begin to flake or patch, at which point you can simply re-coat it, or let it weather back to that natural silvery-grey. Either way, your timber is fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"FreeRangeDesigns","offers":[{"title":"Unvarnished","offer_id":53500180857207,"sku":"FRD-BEN-WD-1189","price":1520.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Varnished (+£50)","offer_id":57213715448183,"sku":"FRD-BEN-WD-1189","price":1595.59,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0267\/7673\/1729\/files\/circular-storytelling-ring-seating-round-bench-1214388.jpg?v=1759412111","url":"https:\/\/freerangingdesigns.com\/en-de\/products\/round-circular-storytelling-bench-schools","provider":"FreeRangeDesigns","version":"1.0","type":"link"}