Rustic wooden arches

Arches not only create a frame on which to grow climbing plants such as clematis, honeysuckle or roses; they can also add visual height to an otherwise flat garden, frame a particular vista or form an architectural feature in their own right. They can also be combined with a bespoke seat or bench to create a unique arbour.

Sweet chestnut arches

Sweet chestnut is an ideal material for the wooden arches I make as it offers considerable scope for creating a strong and long lasting wooden garden arch. I prefer to work with the natural curves, twists and turns of the raw material to hand, carefully selecting the most appropriate poles for the style of arch required. Their visual and physical weight can be dramatically varied to create, at one end of the spectrum, a relatively light airy structure or, at the other, something monumental.

Preservative free – perfect for the organic garden

Sweet chestnut needs no treatment with preservative as its high tanin content makes it as durable as oak outdoors. Wherever possible I'd always advise that you install the arches without using postcrete or concrete. The feet of the arches are designed to be set in holes approximately 2.5–3 feet deep. Simply back-fill the hole, a little at a time, with the soil that came out of it, packing it down really firmly. In the unlikely event that the arch works loose in the ensuing years, it's just a matter of tamping down the soil around the base of the arch and it will be good as new. The life expectancy of these arches (depending on size and location) can range from 10 years to 40+.

The standard styles of sweet chestnut arch I make fall into two broad categories; flat top or pitched top. (Although I refer to them as flat topped they are in fact slightly curved/arched depending on the wood available.) However, I should point out that these can just be a starting point for your particular arch. You might want a pitched roof arch but curved roof timbers rather than the relatively straight ones shown in the picture below. Or you might want an asymmetric flat topped that has one side higher than the other. If you have some of your own ideas regarding the design please let me know and I can tell you if I'm able to create it for you.

Taylor-made/designed wooden arches

Like so many of my products, these arches are all made to order so (within reason) they can be whatever width, height and depth you require to fit in with your specific space. If you wish to order an arch, the best thing to do is to give me the size of the gap it is to go in and let me quote you on the specific size. Also, if you send me a photo of the site, I might be able to suggest alternative designs that I think would suit the location.

Delivery and installation service

These arches are substantial garden structures, even in their dismantled state. Let me know your postcode and I will advise you on the most cost effective way of getting them to you.

If required, (and depending on the distance from my workshop,) I am happy to offer an installation service. Or if you're willing to have a go at installing them yourselves, then I am happy to give you advice.

Please be aware though that these arches (even the lighter weight ones) are very heavy and require careful handling at all times. Do not attempt to install them single handedly. It is a 2 (strong) person operation.