The Longest Bench in the World

The longest bench in Britain and soon to the longest one in the world was opened to the the public in Littlehampton, West Sussex on the 30th July 2010. The bench has a seating capacity of over 300 people and lies along Littlehampton’s promenade, overlooking the town’s Blue Flag beach. The bench winds along the town’s promenade, meandering around lampposts, bending behind bins, and ducking down into the ground to allow access between the beach and the Green.

The 324-meter-long bench is made from thousands of hardwood bars reclaimed from sources including old seaside groynes and rescued from landfill. The variety of reclaimed timbers sports splashes of bright colour wherever the bench wriggles, bends or dips. The bench is interspersed by two giant shelters within which bench loops and turns and bounces off the wall. It is quite a sight.

This bench, which more of a work of art and a feat of engineering, was created by award-winning design company Studio Weave with help from school children, local people, businesses and organizations.