Taking Shape in the Workshop: Our Bespoke Pergola Progresses

Posted on September 08, 2026

A few weeks ago we shared the beginning of a new bespoke pergola being made in the Woodcraft workshop for a private customer in Gloucestershire.

At that stage, much of the project still existed as individual lengths and components being prepared for assembly. Things have moved on considerably since then.

The main structure has now been assembled in the workshop, giving us our first proper look at the scale, proportions and details of the finished design.

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Building before installation

For a structure of this size, assembling the components in the workshop provides an opportunity to see how everything comes together before it reaches its final home.

The substantial upright posts now support the main perimeter beams, while shaped timber braces strengthen the corners and add a decorative detail to the structure.

Above them, the roof framework has also taken shape. Rafters rise towards the centre, creating the distinctive profile of the pergola, with a turned timber finial providing the finishing detail at its highest point.

The latest photographs also reveal some of the details that aren't necessarily obvious when looking at the complete structure. Shaped joints, substantial timber sections and purpose-made metal fixings all have their part to play in turning a collection of individual components into one large structure.

Click on the pictures to enlarge

From workshop to garden

Building something this size inside the workshop certainly gives a sense of scale. With the principal structure assembled, it's now much easier to imagine the pergola standing in its intended garden in Gloucestershire.

There is still work to do before we can show you the finished project, but this is one of the most interesting stages of a bespoke build: the point where drawings, measurements and individual pieces of timber suddenly begin to look like the structure they were intended to become.

We'll share the finished pergola once it reaches its new home.