Rainbow Gates Memorial Bench — Painted Portrait, Carved Oak

A memorial bench in solid oak with a hand-painted portrait at its heart, set inside a scene carved into the backrest: a rainbow arching over open gates, a path of light climbing into the clouds, and a dove flying either side. The name and dates are carved beneath the portrait, and a personal word or nickname can be carved into the front rail where it's seen every time someone sits down.

The bench pictured was made for a family who sent us a photograph of their son with his two dogs, and a picture of the scene they wanted around him. Our carver worked the gates, rainbow, clouds and doves into the oak in relief, then painted the portrait by hand — the dogs included — and sealed it for the outdoors. We shared the portrait with the family before it went any further and repainted it until they told us it was him. That is how every one of these is made.

Built from thick solid oak with hand-cut joinery, and heavy enough to sit in a garden for decades. Prices include VAT and UK delivery.

A Realistic Portrait

This bench features a realistic portrait, painted by our fine artist from a photograph. If you’d like a realistic portrait on your bench, choose one of the “with realistic portrait” options above (+£300).

Key Features

• Solid oak throughout
• Hand-painted portrait worked from your photograph, sealed for outdoor use
• Carved backrest scene — rainbow, open gates, doves, path of light — or a scene of your own
• Name and dates carved beneath the portrait
• Optional word or nickname carved into the front rail
• Choose your finish — supplied unvarnished as standard, or add three coats of Epifanes yacht varnish for lasting colour and sheen (+£50)
• Suitable for gardens, memorial gardens, churchyards and parks
• Handmade in Mid Wales

Dimensions

This bench is available in three standard sizes. The key measurement is the overall width:

• Two-seater: 140 cm wide
• Three-seater: 170 cm wide
• Four-seater: 200 cm wide

All sizes are 55 cm deep, with a 45 cm seat height and 120 cm overall height. See drawings of each size in our bench sizes guide. Every bench is made to order, so if you need a different size to fit your space, just ask.

Your Version

Send us a clear photograph of the person — with a pet, if they belong together — and tell us what should surround them. We'll draw up the design and share the painted portrait with you before the bench is finished, and we won't move on until you're happy it's them. Typical lead time is 4–5 weeks; we can usually work around an anniversary or a placement date. 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. The painted portrait is sealed either way.