Sustrans Portrait Benches

We were awarded a contract by Sustrans to install Portrait benches at 5 locations in the North of England including Liverpool, Bury, Castleford, York and Chester-le-Street

Each project involves installing artwork, benches and information boards and associated surfacing works. The artwork consists of portraits in sheet metal depicting people who have been nominated as “heroes” by their local communities. This work is funded by the Department for Transport in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The photos are of the new portrait bench we installed near Castleford in 2023. The two portrait subjects are:

• Alison Drake

• Henry Moore

The portrait bench is located on the Castleford Greenway, a traffic-free multi-user path on a former railway line, which is part of National Cycle Network Route 69.

 Our works included:

• Minor vegetation clearance (grassed area)

• Excavating existing ground for new footings

• Positioning portrait, bench and interpretation board in the excavation

• Pouring mass concrete footings

• Tarmac surfacing from the existing path to the bench, portraits and interpretation board