Roadside benches - where have they gone?

[james01]

Has anyone else noticed that there are fewer places to stop and eat your sandwiches? On an 18 mile rural ride today there were two places, both at minor road junctions, where there used to be a natural halt - a bench, grassy bank, shady tree etc but over the years these have been lost as the junctions have been "tidied up". Similarly most rural villages used to have plenty of pleasant rest areas (many even had a water tap in the village centre). I can only assume that there's no demand from villagers for these facilities on their daily stroll (possibly because they don't do a daily stroll, they drive to Tesco? )

[jezer]

We still have lots in North Wiltshire.

[al_yrpal]

This is at Pishill Church in the Chilterns…

Sign at Pishill Church by Al, on Flickr

There are benches and sitting places everywhere around here. Church porches, bus shelters etc..

But you are right, went for a three mile country walk on Saturday ending at a pub on the edge of our village with 3500 inhabitants. Never saw a soul?

Al

[Si]

and fewer phone boxes to kip in.

[mercalia]

and fewer phone boxes to kip in.

or to pee in?

thats what they were used for?

[bovlomov]

Shorter benches or benches with intermediate arm rests, to thwart would-be snoozers.

A shopping centre manager interviewed on Radio4 several years ago said that they only install single seat benches, set apart from eachother "because research showed that people felt uncomfortable seeing old people sitting chatting to eachother". What sort of monsters did they invite to that focus group?

[Grandad]

and fewer phone boxes to kip in.

No chance here.

[NickWi]

I was on the Isle of Skye earlier in the year and local wooden road side bench salesman must have got himself a nice bit of commission recently. New benches at seemingly every good viewpoint or picnic site!

[Flinders]

I think some local councils have had trouble with benches being stolen.

I stopped to sit on a very pretty one next to the Village Hall in a local village to have a snack and a bit of a read in the sun for a break on a longish ride, and some people came to clean the village hall. They were very pleased I was using it ('that's exactly what we got it for!' ) but it was, they told me, itself a replacement for a stolen one.

There's a nice one near Swynnerton water tower in its own little fenced-off compound with a great view, and space for bikes, safely off the (narrowish) road. But you'd easily miss it if you didn't know it was there.

[Mark1978]

People setting fire to them seems to be a common pastime.

[Flinders]

People setting fire to them seems to be a common pastime.

The picnic bench I used on the Stafford-Newport railway path the other week was metal. I've seen plastic ones too.

[Grandad]

This is a memorial to a number of Kent cyclists who were outstanding workers for the sport.

It is at Haffenden Quarter, just south of Smarden. Before the advent of village hall HQs a tent there was the focal point of the Kent CA 12 hour

[Mick F]

We still have lots in North Wiltshire.

Still here too.
Just as many as ever.

[mercalia]

I ve never had any trouble finding some where to have a rest, most times I am out I carry my Aldi self inflating pillow should I want a nap. Nothing nicer than that, in the back of beyond, a sunny day with a bit of a breeze and just let time pass you by?

[mjr]

We still have lots in North Wiltshire.

Still here too.
Just as many as ever.

The council I served on in Somerset had so many people offering to donate benches that we no longer had anywhere to put more. We kept a waiting list and accepted donations of repairs or replacements, depending what happened to our 50 or so. I think we were under a thousand households but had quite a lot of visitors, both day trippers and caravanners.