Built for the maintenance budget you have.
The real cost of a park bench is what it takes to keep it looking decent. Ours are made from solid timber and built to be repaired rather than replaced.
[ Councils and parks ]
Still standing after five Welsh winters.
Public spaces take a hammering. We design, make and install timber shelters, benches, picnic areas, signage and boardwalks for councils and parks across Wales, built to be out in the weather and in public use for years, not seasons.
Making since 2006Working for councils across WalesDesign, manufacture and install in‑house
[ What matters on a public site ]
What matters on a public site
It has to take the rough with the smooth.
Public sites get climbed on, sat on and occasionally attacked. We build with heavy sections and proper fixings, so the work takes that wear and stays standing.
One supplier, start to finish.
We draw it, make it and can install it ourselves, so there is one company responsible and one number to ring if something is not right.
[ Aftercare ]
We come back every year to look after it
Everything we make, apart from items in green oak, is finished in an oil-based product, and we recommend re-coating each spring. That stops the timber cracking and splintering, keeps the water out and slows the algae that makes a surface slippery.
On a yearly maintenance plan we come back, inspect the timber, make good any minor damage and re-spray it. In year five we add an anti-fungal treatment.
Green oak is designed to withstand the elements, and its appearance will change over time.
[ Signage and the Welsh language ]
Signs in Welsh and English, carved to order
Public bodies in Wales work to Welsh language standards, and signage is a visible part of that. We make bilingual signs, waymarkers and interpretation boards in our own workshop, so the Welsh is designed in from the start rather than added as a second thought.
We also make the Welsh-language range of learning panels and shapes used in schools across Wales, so working in both languages is normal for us rather than a special request.
[ What we build for councils and parks ]
Made to be out in the weather.
Park shelters
Somewhere to sit out of the rain, built to stay put.
Benches and memorial benches
Including plaques and carved dedications.
Picnic tables and picnic areas
Seating that takes a summer weekend and a winter of weather.
Town centre seating
A curved timber bench on concrete plinths, for a paved square or a town centre.
Signage and waymarkers
Carved timber signs, bilingual as standard.
Fingerposts and trail markers
Oak fingerposts pointing the way along a route, bilingual as standard.
Interpretation boards
Telling people what they are looking at, built for the outdoors.
Plaques and commemorative signs
Carved plaques for openings, dedications and contact details.
Boardwalks and footbridges
Getting people across wet ground and keeping them there.
Play equipment
Timber play structures for parks and public spaces.
Trim trails and obstacle courses
Balance beams, rope traverses and climbing frames, laid out as a circuit.
Refurbishment of existing timber
We re-top and repair benches and structures you already have, rather than replacing them.
[ Metal fabrication ]
One contractor for the timber and the metal
We have our own metal fabrication and welding shop, so the metalwork that goes with a timber job is made by the same team in the same building. There is no subcontractor and no waiting on someone else's schedule. If you have something in mind that mixes the two, tell us and we will come and look at it.
Book a Site Visit[ For procurement ]
The paperwork, before you ask for it.
We know a public body cannot award work on a handshake. Here is where we stand.
Public liability insurance
£5 million, with Chiswell Insurance.
Play equipment standards
All our play equipment is built in accordance with BS EN 1176, with BS EN 1177 for safety surfacing.
Timber sourcing and certification
Locally sourced oak and sweet chestnut, Douglas fir, larch and spruce, from managed forests.
Framework agreements and tenders
We are not currently on any frameworks.
When we can install
We can install almost any week of the year, so we can work around your calendar.
[ Council projects ]
Work for Caerphilly County Borough Council.
01
Parc Cwm Darran
Signage, benches and waymarkers, commissioned by Parc Cwm Darran around ten years ago.
02
Parc Penallta
Welcome signs, bridges, an information board and waymarkers, commissioned by Parc Penallta around ten years ago.
03
Ystrad Mynach Town Centre
Refurbished bench tops in European green oak, with sunk and capped fixings.
04
Caerphilly County Borough Council rural development
Thirteen Bargoed benches supplied recently to Caerphilly County Borough Council's rural development department, for installation in Caerphilly parks.
05
Sirhowy Valley Country Park
Carved timber signage throughout the country park.
From the councils and schools we have built for
“It has been a pleasure working with Craft Wales. The structures provide a fantastic outdoor learning environment that will enhance opportunities for pupils and support a wide range of educational activities.”
Carmarthenshire County Council
Gareth Davies, Building Inspector (Minor Works)
It has been a pleasure working with Craft Wales over the past few weeks, and I would like to express my appreciation for the professionalism, quality of workmanship, and commitment shown throughout the delivery of these schemes. The feedback received from staff at the schools has been extremely positive. The structures provide a fantastic outdoor learning environment that will enhance opportunities for pupils and support a wide range of educational activities. The finished installations have already made a significant impact and will undoubtedly have a lasting positive effect on learners for many years to come.
Councils and public spaces we have worked with.
Councils and public spaces
- Caerphilly County Borough Council
- Carmarthenshire County Council
- Pembrokeshire County Council
- Parc Cwm Darran
- Parc Penallta
- Ystrad Mynach Town Centre
Projects completed for these organisations.
[ How we work ]
From first visit to final fitting.
- 01
Free Site Visit
We come to you, measure up and talk through what you need.
- 02
Design and Quote
We draw it up by hand, to scale, and give you a fixed price.
- 03
Made in Our Workshop
Built by our own team in Ystrad Mynach.
- 04
Installed by Our Team
Delivered and fitted on site by the people who made it.
- 05
Aftercare
We offer a full aftercare package to help your products last.