Scattered across the capital's parks, squares and pavements are benches with stories to tell — memorials to musicians and war heroes, quirky plaques with a sense of humour, and new designs reshaping how Londoners sit and rest. Below is a curated set of recent articles about the city's most notable benches.
A look at a new sculptural, wave-shaped timber bench installation along the Strand, designed to offer flexible public seating within the redeveloped streetscape.
Read the article →A tour of memorial bench plaques across Soho, Covent Garden and beyond, including the Kirsty MacColl tribute in Soho Square and the Postman’s Park memorial to self-sacrifice.
Read the article →A look back at some of London’s oldest and most storied benches, including the Ferryman’s Seat at Bankside, a surviving relic of the city’s riverside trade.
Read the article →A sprawling roundup of dozens of noteworthy benches across the capital, from quirky odd-shaped seats to poignant memorial plaques, mapped out for bench-spotters.
Read the article →Details on a new batch of bespoke wooden benches being installed throughout St James’s Park, one of London’s oldest and most visited Royal Parks.
Read the article →Coverage of the Sculpture in the City trail, including artist Oliver Bragg’s witty engraved brass plaques fixed to existing benches around the City of London.
Read the article →A report on 20 new slatted benches installed across the Royal Parks, including Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, designed to blend into the landscape.
Read the article →A news report on the vandalism of a memorial bench honouring the Gibbons brothers and Milt Cohen, who fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War, and the community’s response.
Read the article →An exploration of Sustrans’ Portrait Benches scattered across London, each honouring local heroes and celebrities carved in silhouette.
Read the article →An announcement of memorial benches donated by Netflix, inspired by the show After Life, featuring QR codes linking to mental health support resources.
Read the article →