Some things start as a community effort and end up as something genuinely extraordinary. This orca bench is one of them — commissioned alongside The Bensley for Rottingdean seafront in East Sussex, where it sits as the companion piece to a memorial boat bench made for Mick Bensley, marine artist of the village.
The brief came from Cathy Taylor, who was coordinating both benches for the PARC charity and Brighton and Hove City Council. She wanted a whale that actually inhabits UK waters. After a little research, she discovered that orcas do indeed visit our shores — and so an orca it became. The design that followed is a leaping orca carved from solid oak and finished in deep black, framing a golden-toned sea: mid-leap, wings of spray caught in the backrest, with rolling ocean carved into every surface. The armrests have a fin-like feel. Even the legs are waves.
Built to DDA-compliant dimensions — two central armrests, full backrest, seat height to accessibility guidelines — the bench seats three adults comfortably and is designed to live outside in all weathers, including the salt air of the coast. It has been installed on Rottingdean seafront alongside The Bensley and the existing storytelling throne, making Free Range Designs a permanent part of the village's seafront.
Key Features
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Leaping orca carved in solid oak — finished in deep black against golden-toned oak grain; the whole backrest is the jump
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Wave carvings on every surface — backrest, seat sides, and the legs of the bench itself
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An orca that visits UK waters — Cathy's research ensured the species is genuinely native to British seas
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DDA-compliant — two central armrests with a fin-like feel, backrest, accessible seat height
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Three-seater — generous seat width with central armrests separating the sections
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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)
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Installed on Rottingdean seafront — alongside The Bensley and the Free Range Designs storytelling throne
Dimensions
- Three-seater bench with two central armrests
- Seat height: approx. 45–47 cm (DDA-compliant)
- Material: Solid oak
- Please contact us for full footprint dimensions — every piece is made to order
Your Version
We make benches like this for seafronts, parks, memorial gardens, wildlife reserves and any public space that deserves something more than a standard timber plank. Any creature, any scene, any inscription. Get in touch and tell us what you're imagining.
Typical lead time is 4–5 weeks, though we work to project timelines. Prices include VAT.
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.
