The art of garden furniture As life outside became more settled, however, gardens tentatively started to look outwards, into the landscape, first by modest windows piercing cloistered walls, later with vista-grabbing viewing places. Naturally, seats were required, and their direction switched to allow for proper appreciation. In Britain, the landscape movement and the Picturesque, with their emphasis on circuitous paths regulated by "eye-catchers" and framed views, used seats to help promote this switch from the active to the contemplative. Stone follies and temples usually incorporated seats, cold and hard as tombs, in the form of stone benches. But it was the civic spaces of the 19th century, the new parks and gardens such as Birkenhead in Liverpool, the seaside promenades and pleasure piers, and the revamped royal parks in London, that brought a more general demand for seating for an exploding urban population. Fortunately this coincided with new techniques for large-scale production in cast iron, resulting in that default item of garden furniture, the "park bench." By the 1840s, the leading manufacturer of garden benches was the Coalbrookdale foundry in Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, offering slatted seats in ever more florid designs. Names such as "Convolvulus," "Nasturtium," "Oak and Ivy Leaf," "Lily of the Valley" and "Passion Flower" give some idea. By 1883 William Robinson was noting, in The English Flower Garden, that "It is rare to see a garden seat that is not an eyesore." The widespread introduction of public seating meant subtlety of placing went by the wayside. Park benches were plonked willy-nilly, a habit that's proved hard to kick, especially in the gardens of country houses open to the public. Discomfort remains the defining quality of outdoor seating. The goal of meeting the tripartite challenge of comfort, weatherproofing and looks continues to defy designers. Most seats make minimal concession to the fragility of the human frame. Sharp angles, hard edges and an absolute absence of ergonomics abound. Wooden seats promise a coating of green slime. Metal or stone ones freeze the buttocks. Grass or moss are obviously not to be taken seriously. Fortunately, none of this matters much, as garden seats are not, in general, intended to be sat on. They are present to introduce the idea of repose - perfectly justifiable, in a place given over to the peace of mind, body and soul. Or they exist as design devices in their own right: brightly painted at the end of a long garden to foreshorten it; as a focal point to draw the eye; white-painted against, say, the architectural bulk of clipped yew; or, in circular form, to give a hug to a favourite tree. None of which much helps the student trying to place his seat, or indeed the gardener, who tends to spend little time sitting anyway. As Kipling observed: "Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made/By singing: 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade." The best spot to sit down Don't think of garden furniture as purely functional. Cheap white plastic chairs let down the look of a good garden - and they'll almost certainly let you down too. Simon Burvill, of fine furniture makers Gaze Burvill, says: "Try to match furniture to the same scale as your property: a large house, or dramatic tall planting call for a larger seat or dining set, whereas a cottage garden or small town terrace would suit a smaller bench." The right piece of furniture can provide a good focal point in a garden layout. Placing a bench under a tree or having a backdrop of roses can create a dramatic look. Simon says: "Make sure your furniture is not purely ornamental - comfort should be key." He recommends a curved backrest to support tired arms and shoulders. When siting a seat, aim for enclosure at your back and a view in front of you. Most people do this instinctively, it's the "defensive lookout" position favoured by our primitive hunter/gatherer ancestors. Antony Woodward is the author of 'The Garden in the Clouds' (HarperPress, £8.99). 10 inspirational garden seat ideas: in pics