Every memorial bench we make begins with a conversation — about who you're remembering, what they loved, and what you'd like to say. What follows is a piece of hand-carved oak that will stand in a garden, school, or open space for decades to come, telling that story quietly and permanently.
No two benches are the same. The images here are a gallery of past commissions — kingfishers and roses, rugby roses and mountain scenes, unicorns and tigers, portraits and names — each one shaped entirely around the person it honours. Whether you have a clear design in mind or just a handful of memories to share, we'll work with you to bring something true and lasting into being. This is the Free Range way: everything made to order, everything made with care.
Each bench is built for a permanent home — a garden seat that weathers the years as gracefully as the memory it carries. Prices include VAT. Schools and institutions can order on invoice — once ordered, it's confirmed.
Key Features
- Hand-carved solid oak throughout — every design sculpted by hand in our Mid Wales workshop
- Fully bespoke: names, dates, portraits, animals, symbols, landscapes — we carve what matters to you
-
Choose your finish — supplied unvarnished as standard, or add three coats of Epifanes yacht varnish for lasting colour and sheen (+£50)
- Solid hand-built joinery — built to stand outdoors for decades
- Available as 2-seater (140cm wide) or 3-seater (160cm wide)
- Suitable for gardens, churchyards, school grounds, parks, and public spaces
Dimensions
Two-seater bench
Width: 140cm | Depth: 60cm | Height: 120cm
Three-seater bench
Width: 160cm | Depth: 60cm | Height: 120cm
Dimensions can be adjusted to suit your space — just ask when you get in touch.
Your Version
Every bench in the gallery above started with a conversation just like yours. Some customers arrive with detailed sketches; others come with a handful of words and a photograph. Either way, we listen, sketch, and collaborate until the design feels right — then we carve it. Lead time is typically 4–5 weeks, though we can often work to tighter deadlines for school events, anniversaries, or ceremonies. 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.
