Bigland shelter

Children's Play Areas
Ceramic work
Timber and Steel
Lighting
Water Fountains
News

The Bigland Boat is a huge walk-in sculpture. It conjures up fantasies of Swallows and Amazons, messing about in boats and the lazy, relaxed atmosphere of being beside water.

A place to sit at lunchtime, something to keep the sun off, somewhere to talk, to rest, or just to sit back and watch. With capacity for over 30 children, it is ideal for outdoor lessons and staff meetings.

Built and designed by the furniture maker Tom Straker, it is beautifully constructed, with great attention to detail. The bulk of the boat is built from chunky sweet chestnut, set on galvanized steel legs, to prolong the life span of the wood. The table and bench, which forms a big sweeping curve, is made from great, impressive slices of ‘green oak’. The up-turned ‘hull’ or roof of the shelter is made from individually cut pieces of cedar which allow dappled light to fall beneath. A curved bank of ‘gabion’ cages, filled with stones and topped with timber for further seating, creates a boundary. Beyond the gabion wall there is a large area of interesting and resilient plants. The floor surface in the shelter is an all weather material, with a natural grassy appearance.