This is the Pen Y Graig chair — the third of five storytelling thrones we made for Meirion's Trail, a community storytelling walk through the town of Harlech in North Wales.
Sited at the top of the town with panoramic views of Harlech Castle and the Llŷn Peninsula stretching out beyond, the Pen Y Graig throne has become one of the most photographed spots in the area. The chair is carved from solid Welsh oak, with intricate botanical panels running the full height of the backrest — birds, leaves and swirling forms that echo the natural landscape all around it.
The scale is intentional. These are chairs designed to hold stories, and to make the person sitting in them feel like they matter. Children and adults alike stop, climb up and settle in — and for a few minutes, the castle behind them and the world ahead seem to belong to a different time entirely.
Meirion's Trail now draws visitors from across Wales and beyond — five chairs, one story, spread across a mile of the most beautiful town in Snowdonia, based on the tale of Meirion by author Mair Tomos Ifans.
We can create a similar outdoor storytelling throne for your school, community, festival or public space. Every piece is made to order in our workshop on the edge of Eryri — the carvings, scale and timber all shaped around your brief.
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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.
