Our Craft - How We Make Our Picnic Benches
Every bench we sell is a handmade wooden bench, built by hand in our Chelmsford workshop from solid timber. This page is about how - and why - because when you're buying something that will live outdoors for years, how it's made is the whole story.
Get a QuoteFrom timber to finished bench
We choose C24 construction-grade timber for its durability outdoors, prepare and season it properly, and build with joints made to stay tight for years. Every surface is finished, including the parts you don't see, because that's where weather does its damage.
Timber selection
We use C24 construction-grade timber - the same material used to build houses and structural frames. Every piece is selected for straightness, structural grade, and durability outdoors in the British climate.
Cut & prepare
Each component is cut to size for your specific order. Nothing is pre-made or pulled from stock. Edges are routed with a 6mm round-over so every surface is splinter-free, including the undersides you never see.
Joinery & assembly
Proper joints, countersunk fixings, and weather-resistant hardware throughout. No surface screws, no shortcuts. One pair of hands builds the whole bench start to finish, so quality is consistent across every joint.
Finish & inspect
Every surface is sanded to 120-grit and finished with water-based, non-toxic stain - safe for children and dogs. Then the bench passes our 4-point Benchmark Approved safety audit before it leaves the workshop.
Follow the full process in a year in the workshop.
Why built-to-order
Building each bench individually means we control quality at every step and make it to your exact specification. It's slower than mass production, but it's why our benches fit, last, and can be repaired.
There's no warehouse of identical flat-pack benches. Your bench is made for you, using timber bought specifically for your build. Zero waste, zero compromise, and a product that's exactly what you asked for.
Read more about why handmade beats mass-produced.
One maker, one bench
When one person builds the whole thing, they own the quality. There's no “someone else will check it” - Chris Markham checks it because Chris built it. Every piece passes the Benchmark Approved 4-point safety audit before it leaves.
That audit covers structural integrity, splinter-free finish, non-toxic stain compliance, and a full entry in the Master Build Log. Nothing ships without passing all four.
Made in Essex
We're proud to be a local Essex maker. Our workshop is at Highlands Farm, Rettendon Common, near Chelmsford - a proper industrial space with proper tools. Not a shed, not a garage.
Chris Markham builds every Blackthorn Benches product by hand in this workshop. No production line, no assembly workers, no corners cut. Every cut, every joint, every finish - one pair of hands, start to finish.
We supply homes and businesses across Essex - Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend, Braintree, Maldon and beyond. See our full range of picnic benches or find out more about buying a picnic bench in Essex.
Workshop location
Highlands Farm, Southend Road
Rettendon Common, Essex
CM3 8EB
Mon–Fri: 8am–5pm
Visitors welcome - get in touch to arrange a time.
Our craft FAQs
Yes - every bench is built by hand in our Chelmsford workshop from solid C24 construction-grade timber, not assembled from imported flat-pack kits. One maker, start to finish.
A maker controls timber selection, joint quality and finish, and builds to your exact size. The result lasts longer and can be repaired rather than replaced.
All of our benches are made in our workshop at Highlands Farm, Rettendon Common, near Chelmsford, Essex, and delivered across the county and beyond.
C24 construction-grade timber - graded for strength and durability, not cosmetic appearance. It's the same material used in structural building work, chosen because it handles years outdoors in the UK weather.
Tell us your dimensions and we'll build to fit
Every bench is handmade to order in Essex from solid C24 timber. Get in touch with your size and we'll confirm pricing and build time.