Established in 2004
More than 2500 commissions
Handmade in Britain
The only bespoke swing seat, rope swing & bench makers endorsed by the RHS
A garden with no seat
The year was 2004 and Martin Young had plans to open his new Bramble Hayes garden under the National Garden Scheme. He remembers the day the inspector came to visit, clutching her yellow book and clipboard full of the necessary criteria:
“It's perfect but our members like to sit down and contemplate the garden, the planting and the view” the inspector explained, “but you have no seating so I'm afraid we can't include you this year unless you can sort this out in the next few weeks.”
Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and Martin’s first steps into the world of luxury garden furniture had begun.
My kingdom for a swing seat
With his heart set on buying one of the evocative solid wooden swing seats he had seen in American films, Martin quickly realised that he simply wasn't going to find what he wanted:
'I must have sat on at least 20 seats and looked at the same amount again online' he laughs, 'but they were all horrible; flimsy and badly made from cheap hardwoods or clunky metal or plastic ones, they didn't meet my expectations at all.'
Crafting the right swing seat
Exasperated but not put off, Martin turned to the home of the swing seat: the USA. Once he’d ordered plans over the internet, Martin could see immediately that this was what he’d been looking for. With a few aesthetic tweaks, and using the carpentry skills his father had insisted upon him, this was something he could make himself.
So the first of Martin's swing seats were created and can still be seen in the Sitting Spiritually Garden today.
Sitting Spiritually is born
The rest is history. Bramble Hayes was approved by the National Garden Scheme, and visitors poured into the garden to admire Martin’s handmade swinging bench; so much so that six of them commissioned their own swing seat for that summer.
Sitting Spiritually was born.
The RHS and beyond
Historically regular exhibitors at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, placements across some of the country’s most esteemed RHS gardens and private estates, and the only bespoke wooden swing seat, rope swing, and bench maker endorsed by the RHS; over the last two decades, Sitting Spiritually has become a household name in luxury garden furniture.
In 2024, Sitting Spiritually will be celebrating its 20th birthday and nearing its 3000th commissions over the past two decades. It’s been quite the journey.
Meet the Sitting
Spiritually Team
In the heart of the South West of England, our dedicated craftsmen blend tradition with luxury to create garden furniture masterpieces. Their passion and precision are evident in every piece.
Dive deeper and get to know the talented hands that shape your outdoor oasis. Welcome to our world of craftsmanship.
Our promise for the future
For every seat you order, we will plant a tree.
We exclusively use FSC-certified wood and take immense pride in the quality of wood we source.
In 2012, Sitting Spiritually were extremely proud to become the only bespoke swing seat, rope swing and bench makers endorsed by the RHS.
Our furniture design process
Find out the story behind what influences our design process. From drinks shelves to inset ammonites, we're always listening to feedback and reshaping them in to new ideas.
Visit the Sitting Spiritually Garden
Set in the beautiful rolling hills of Dorset, the Sitting Spiritually garden is home to an array of our swing seats. Just 5 minutes from the coast, we welcome visitors, by appointment throughout the year to come and explore our swing seats and benches in their true beauty. The garden contains 6 swing seats, our Swinging Day Bed, a Rockabye and a Knole Garden Bench.
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