There's a simple timber bench under the palm at Riverdell. The wood was sourced on the farm, milled here and made into the seat here too. It's our first attempt at making something on site from material from the site, which gives an ordinary bench a fair bit of significance for us.
The finished piece sits close to the trunk, beneath the spreading fronds. There's grass further out and a patch of bare ground underneath. The palm supplies a rather extravagant backdrop for a fairly straightforward bit of furniture. We like the proportions: a long seat below a whole lot of tree.
Making something from the farm's own timber adds a different connection to the finished object. The material and the place it ends up are part of the same property. It isn't just a board chosen for how it looks in a shop; there's a local source and a bit of work here behind the seat.
The first attempt has led on to another completed build: a set of timber stairs. Those use wood sourced and milled on the property, and are our first finished project beyond a simple bench. They have a different job, getting between levels, while this piece has the very agreeable job of offering somewhere to sit.
For this bench, the setting is a large part of the appeal. The trunk rises immediately behind it, with the long fronds spreading well beyond either end. A small piece of timberwork can belong quite comfortably in a much larger view without needing to compete with it.
There's more timber work in the farm story too, including boards intended for signs and some new fenceposts. Each has its own practical use. This is where making something here from timber sourced here first became a finished object, and we're pleased it turned out to be something so easy to appreciate. A bench, a palm and a fairly good reason to sit down at our Currowan farm.