I am writing this on Midsummer Day – forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far and the hottest June day for a long time. It’s been a wonderful summer so far. We are enjoying our garden and are spending as much time there as possible. We think it’s important to make secret places in your garden, places for one, places for two to share, places for peace and quiet, places for conversation. To create these special places you will need a garden seat….
At Holloways we have Victorian-style cast-aluminium benches and classic teak benches, including the perennially popular Lutyens bench. Let me show you.
The Moreton and Charlecote benches are examples of wrought ironwork in the traditional English style. Both made by local makers, the Charlecote benches have a verdigris finish, and the Moreton benches (exclusive to Holloways), have a triple rail back with curved seats and a grey galvanised finish.
The Rolltop wrought-iron benches and chairs also have a verdigris finish, reproducing the natural patina formed when copper, brass or bronze become weathered. This style also includes large and small curved benches for curved garden places and private conversations.
Our Victorian Heritage
At Holloways we have always specialised in unusual, but comfortable garden benches, and they are always weatherproof. We like to support independent English makers, who are carrying on the skills and traditions of cast- and wrought-iron producers from their heyday in Regency and Victorian times.
Based on one of the most famous Coalbrookdale designs, Lily-of-the-Valley, first created in 1864, this aluminium replica captures all the beauty of the original, but is made using state-of-the-art materials and finishes. Cast aluminium is durable, light to move around and cannot rust. Any fastenings used are made from stainless steel. This off-white colour sets off the dry-stone garden wall perfectly.
The Nasturtium-pattern garden bench was one of the most famous created by the Coalbrookdale foundry in Shropshire and was first introduced in 1875. The richly decorative casting, with its tracery of stylised nasturtium flowers and leaves, is recreated here in cast aluminium. The bench is finished in a tough powder coating in a choice of colours. Dark green is a very classic choice for a traditional garden.
This stunning Gothic garden bench is cast from an original made at the famous Val d'Osne Art foundry in France in the mid 19th Century. The intricate trefoil and quatrefoil pattern on the back and honeycomb piercing of the seat are reproduced in perfect detail. The Gothic style, especially in black, suits both contemporary and traditional gardens.
Arts and Crafts in Wood
The Lutyens bench is a timeless garden classic named after the famous British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. This is a solid teak bench of excellent quality and will add architectural interest to your garden. Teak weathers organically to a lovely silver grey if left untreated (which we recommend) and cannot be damaged by rain or heat. It needs no maintenance except cleaning.
Even though we would love it, it just can’t be Midsummer every day. All these benches are happy to stay outside all year round – they become a part of your garden, rain or shine, and enjoy the winter weather too.
