Twenty Years On: Curved Woodcraft Benches at Pannett Park

Posted on September 08, 2026

There is something particularly satisfying about coming across a piece of Woodcraft furniture many years after it first left the workshop.

These two curved wooden benches at Pannett Park in Whitby were made by Woodcraft around 20 years ago. Two decades of North Yorkshire weather have transformed the appearance of the timber, but both benches remain very much part of the park today.

Situated close to Whitby Museum and Pannett Art Gallery, the benches were designed to follow the circular layout of this part of the gardens. Rather than simply placing conventional straight benches around the space, the curved seating works with the shape of the surrounding landscaping.

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Twenty years outdoors

Unsurprisingly, the timber no longer looks anything like it would have done when the benches were first installed. Years of exposure to sun, rain and changing seasons have gradually turned the wood a distinctive silver-grey.

Look more closely and you can see the marks, grain, surface checking and variations in colour that have developed over those years. They're not new benches pretending to be old; they're pieces of outdoor furniture that have genuinely spent around two decades doing the job they were made to do.

And that's rather the point.

Good outdoor furniture doesn't have to retain its original colour and pristine appearance throughout its life. Timber changes outdoors, and those changes can become part of its character.

Designed for the space

The two benches also demonstrate how curved seating can be used to complement a landscape rather than simply occupy it.

The larger bench follows the edge of the circular paved area, while the second creates another gentle arc on the opposite side. Their substantial timber construction and simple design allow the curves themselves to do much of the visual work.

Twenty years after Woodcraft made them, they're still there providing somewhere to sit, meet, rest and enjoy the surroundings.

For us, that's a pretty good definition of built to last.