A seat with a view – and a story to tell
A beautifully designed handmade circular bench now takes pride of place in the middle of the community planted woodland in Silk Wood.
The design of the seating tells a poignant story of loss, balanced with regeneration and future hope. Hope for both our community of people and trees.
The trunk-like cutaway shape of the seating area of the bench, surrounding the young wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis), is a symbol of the woodland surrounding it - the ash trees that had to be cut down and the new woodland now growing. The stumps around the nibs, or ‘points’ at each intersection of seating, help tell the story through their varying heights and carvings.
Silk Wood Community Planting Project
Designed, made and installed by Ed Brooks Furniture and Stand + Stare, the bench celebrates the ‘Silk Wood Community Planting Project’ (SWCPP) that ran from 2023-2026. Supported by The Friends and funded by generous external donors, the project represents Westonbirt’s first ever community woodland. 4,000 local people took part in restoring five hectares of land decimated by ash dieback disease in 2020.
The entire bench has been constructed using Westonbirt oak, left over from the oak timber used to build the recent play area installed in Silk Wood. A little more recycling in action!
Exploring the story behind the bench design in more detail:
- In aerial view, the nibs (or points) represent a tree’s root structure, and the internal slats of the seating areas suggest the growth rings of the original felled treesThe tree at the centre of the bench design has been carefully grown from seed collected in Silk Wood. The wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis) is a rare UK native species and an indicator of ancient woodland. It represents the continuity of management in this special place, which has been wooded since at least the Medieval times. Learn more about our Conservation work to protect rare Sorbus trees.
- The collections of stumps at each of the five nibs portray the project over time, from felling through to an established woodland. One, the dying ash, the next planting the new woodland, another the flourishing woodland, the next the woodland establishing itself and mature trees with diverse habitats, indicating the future woodland and its variety of tree species.
- The carvings inlaid onto the tops of the collections of stumps around the nibs, each share aspects of the project, the trees, the planting and the community of people involved. For example, there are panels in the shape of leaves that represent the felled ash, new species planted, and hands to represent the thousands of people who worked on the planting project.
- The content and ideas for the story and illustrations came from a focus group of people who took part in the community planting project.
- Three paths leading away from the bench, with the Wild Service tree at its heart, are visually echoed by five bays around the circular seat. As visitors walk up to the bench, they should feel guided by the design to enter, sit and look back from where they have just come.
Wheelchair users will find it easy to move around the bench to enjoy the design detail, with plenty of space to sit alongside friends. Curved back and arm rests offer space for people to rest comfortably and get up more easily. For children, the different levels of the stumps offer fun and the chance to scramble and play. Interpreting the project stories through carved illustrations rather than text opens up the story to non-readers, including young children and non-English speakers. The tactility of the etchings and the whole bench will also appeal to some neurodivergent visitors and people with visual impairments.
Come sit, relax and pause for thought when you next visit.
We would like to thank every participant, volunteer, partner organisation and funder who made this project possible. By combining conservation work with hands-on learning experiences, we are not only growing a woodland for the future, but also the confidence, skills, and community connections for the people involved with continuing to help nurture these trees.
Interested in the Silkwood Community Planting Project? Learn more in our celebration blog.
