Pergolas & Arbours
A pergola gives a garden height, shade and structure, and an arbour gives you somewhere to actually sit and enjoy it. We build both from scratch in sustainably sourced timber, sized and positioned to suit the space rather than fighting it. Freestanding or attached to the house, with posts set properly so the whole thing stays square once the climbers are established and the wind gets up.
Structure, shade and somewhere to sit
A pergola does something a fence cannot: it gives a garden height and a sense of a room without closing anything in. An arbour does the same on a smaller scale, and gives you somewhere to sit while it does it.
We make timber pergolas and arbours by hand and install them across Norwich and the surrounding villages. Sustainably sourced timber, joints cut properly rather than butted and screwed, and posts set to carry the weight of the structure plus whatever eventually grows over it.
Freestanding pergolas
A freestanding pergola defines a seating area in the middle of a garden or over a patio. Four or more posts, a beam frame and rafters over the top, sized so the proportions look right rather than to whatever length the timber came in. Set out on site so it lines up with the house and the boundaries.
Lean-to and wall-mounted
Where the pergola runs off the house or a garden wall, half the structure is carried by the building. That takes up less space and gives a covered route from a back door to a patio. The wall fixing has to be right for the wall it is going into, which we assess on site.
Arbours and seating
An arbour is the small version: a seat with a frame over it, usually set at the end of a path or in a corner that catches the evening sun. We make these to measure with the seat built in, so it fits the spot instead of being a bench with a frame parked over the top of it.
Planting and climbers
Most pergolas end up carrying a wisteria, a rose or a grape vine, and a mature climber is heavy and gets heavier. We build with that in mind, with rafters and beams sized to carry it rather than to look adequate on day one. Worth mentioning what you plan to grow when we quote.
Where we work
We are based in Brundall, just east of Norwich, and cover the city and the surrounding villages — including Taverham, Costessey, Drayton, Hellesdon and Old Catton. If you are not sure whether we reach you, call Nick on 07377 222997 and he will tell you straight away. Every quote is free and comes with no obligation.