A hand-carved oak memorial bench with a unicorn beneath a rainbow — made for a child named Belle, at a school in Haverfordwest, by a community who wanted her remembered in the most magical way possible.
The bench came to us in 2019 from Nicola at Spittal VC School in Pembrokeshire. Belle had been part of that school, and the staff wanted something that felt like her — not a standard plaque or a plain seat, but something the children would recognise as belonging to her. Nicola worked with us through the design process, the rainbow was added in coloured wood stains at Belle’s mum’s request, and when Nicola collected the finished bench the evening before the school ceremony, she wrote to tell us the reaction.
“Your bench artist/maker did exactly what I had in mind but he somehow made it even better. Now instead of having a regular memory bench, we have something that will mean the world to the children and Belle’s family. This bench has exceeded all expectations and will be a little piece of history at Spittal School to remember Belle by.”
— Nicci, Spittal VC School, Haverfordwest
Built from solid oak and finished with three coats of Epifanes matt varnish, the Unicorn Memorial Bench seats two at 130cm wide. Every version is made to order — with the inscription, the colours and the carving chosen to belong to the person being remembered. Prices include VAT.
Key Features
- Solid oak throughout
- Hand-carved unicorn beneath a rainbow — rainbow finished in coloured wood stains
- Personalised inscription carved directly into the timber — no plaques, no metal
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Choose your finish — supplied unvarnished as standard, or add three coats of Epifanes yacht varnish for lasting colour and sheen (+£50)
- Two-seater, 130cm wide
- Suitable for school gardens, parks, churchyards and private memorials
- Handmade in Mid Wales
Dimensions
- W130 × D60 × H120cm
- Seat height approx 45cm
Your Version
Every Unicorn Memorial Bench begins with a conversation about who the bench is for — the name, the dates, the carving details that feel right. We share a design drawing before we begin, and work with you and the family to get it exactly as it should be. Typical lead time is 4–5 weeks; we can often accommodate ceremony deadlines. Get in touch to start the conversation.
Finish
This piece is supplied unvarnished as standard. Left natural, solid oak slowly weathers to a soft, silvery-grey — completely normal for outdoor timber, a graceful way for a piece to age, and with no maintenance needed. If you’d prefer to bring out the grain and warm, honeyed tones, choose the varnished option (+£50) and we’ll hand-apply three coats of Epifanes, a premium marine yacht varnish.
More about the two finishes
Outdoor 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 oak is fine.
