Sustrans Portrait Benches

Keilyn with a traditional canal horse, in Mile End Park.

Wandering through London as I do, I often see remarkable architecture, hidden gems, and places not written about in any guidebook. It was during one of these walks, from Aldgate to Canary Wharf, that I saw my first 'Portrait Bench'.

These installations feature functional benches placed alongside life-size silhouettes crafted from weathering steel, which slowly develops a beautiful, rust-like patina over time. This particular bench featured the likenesses of footballer Ledley King, suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, and a traditional canal horse.

Cormorant and bicycle.

On another more recent walk, where I walked from Canada to Russia, I discovered a second installation. The figures here depicted Phyllis Pearsell (creator of the first A-Z map of London), actor Michael Caine, and a cormorant and bicycle representing Barry Mason, a local cycling campaigner and birdwatcher.

By now, I was intrigued as to whether there were any other similar benches in London and who else was immortalised. My research led me down a fascinating rabbit hole. Here is what I discovered about the project, along with a guide on where you can spot them yourself.

Design and History

The Portrait Bench project is a nationwide public art initiative by the sustainable transport charity Sustrans. It features over 250 life-sized, two-dimensional steel silhouettes placed next to benches along the National Cycle Network. Each installation typically depicts three local heroes, cultural figures, or historical representations chosen by the local community.

The Mile End Park Trio.

Sustrans (recently renamed the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust) is a UK-based walking, wheeling, and cycling charity. It is best known as the custodian of the National Cycle Network, a 12,000-mile UK-wide network of signed paths and traffic-free routes used for active travel and outdoor recreation. The charity works to make active mobility safer and more accessible through advocacy, community projects, and infrastructure consultancy.

• Material: Built using laser-cut Corten steel (weathering steel), which develops a natural, protective rust-like patina over time.
• Interaction: The flat, life-sized figures stand directly on the ground without plinths. This invites cyclists and walkers to sit on the bench or stand alongside the figures to become part of the group portrait.
• Funding: The first major wave began after Sustrans won a 2007 National Lottery vote for the "Connect2" project. A newer batch of 30 figures was added in 2023 to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, funded by the Department for Transport.

The Seven London Locations

Pearsell and Caine.

There are currently seven portrait bench locations to hunt for in London:

• Croydon: Ronnie Corbett (comedian), Dame Peggy Ashcroft (actress), and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (composer).
• Central Park, Dartford: Mick Jagger (musician).
• Finsbury Park: Jazzy B OBE (record producer), Florence Keen (founder of the North Islington Welfare Centre and School for Mothers in 1913), and Edith Garrud (the first female martial arts instructor in the Western world).
• Greenland Dock: Phyllis Pearsell (creator of the first A-Z map of London), Sir Michael Caine (actor), and a cormorant and bicycle representing Barry Mason (a local cycling campaigner and birdwatcher).
• Harold Hill: King Henry VIII, Ian Dury (musician), and Harry Norman Eccleston OBE (banknote designer).
• Mile End Park: Ledley King (footballer), Sylvia Pankhurst (suffragette), and a traditional canal horse.
• Paddington Green: Alan Turing (codebreaker), Mary Seacole (Crimean nurse), and Michael Bond (Paddington Bear creator).

Portrait Benches Across the UK

Me with Edith Garrud.

While you can find these installations all across the country, 

here are a few famous examples outside of the capital:

• Birmingham: Sir Lenny Henry (comedian), Ellie Simmonds (paralympian), and Jane Sixsmith (hockey player).
• Northwich, Cheshire: Paula Radcliffe (athlete), Gary Barlow (musician), and a historic local salt worker.
• South Shields: Sarah Millican (comedian), Norman Fay (cycle frame builder), and a Roman soldier.
• York: Dame Judi Dench (actress) and Dave Jackson (local cycle route builder).