Bench Renovations

Barrowford Parish Council inherited the responsibility for most public bench maintenance on the highways within Barrowford during the austerity period and has been repairing benches in an ad hoc manner as required.

Many of the steel benches with Barrowford set into the rear were made over a 10-year period during the 1990’s 2000’s by Mr. Ken Knowles a retired engineer at cost. The benches had started to look their age and some in exposed positions were in a sorry state.

Sadly, Ken died in 2025 in his nineties, the benches were Kens legacy to the village as one of the unsung hero’s who put the village ahead of personal gain. The Clerk who new Ken personally and installed many of the benches and knowing of the deuteriation of the benches put forward to the Council that some of these benches could be saved. When restored used to commemorate past Chairmen of the Council with a plaque recording their service as Chairman.

The Council has currently restored six benches in British Racing Green with Gold lettering, and starting with the first Chairmen of the Parish Council and in order of service: Cllr. Anthony (Tony) Dixon, Cllr. Brian Davies, Cllr. Michael (Mick) Maybury, Cllr. Michael (Mick) Simpson, Cllr. John Pope, Cllr. James Begley. The seventh for Cllr. Robert Oliver should be completed and installed by next spring leaving the current Chairman Cllr. Andrew Stringer.

Several other wooden benches have been restored with two more being worked on. The Parish Council has started renovating benches within the park by giving residents the cheaper option of renovating an old bench to commemorate a lost relative rather than the expense of buying a new commercial grade bench.

Higherford Residents Action Group have asked for a new bench at Dicky Nook near the repurposed phone box, but unfortunately the request for a licence from the County Council has dragged on for some time.