Thank goodness for Theo! Bath Abbey opt for award-winning chair

Thank goodness for Theo! Bath Abbey opt for award-winning chair

When the officials of Bath Abbey, known for its medieval heritage and beautiful gothic architecture, wanted to change traditional pews for chairs, they looked for a stackable yet practical replacement.

‘Taking out the pews enabled us to open up the abbey’s nave and side aisles and make it possible for people of different physical abilities to sit where they wanted to,’ said Bath Abbey’s Rev Edward Mason. ‘Stackable chairs mean the nave can be used for a wide variety of traditional and contemporary worship.’

The abbey approached Trinity Church Furniture, a company supplying ecclesiastical furniture for more than 40 years.

‘Our Theo chair is ideal for most church situations,’ said Trinity’s Mike Seward. ‘Too many churches discover too late that their chairs are too heavy and cumbersome or use up too much space.’ Designed by Simon Pengelly, the Theo is durable and lightweight. At just 4.25 kg and stacking at up to 30 chairs high, it is the ideal solution for many ecclesiastical contexts. Bath Abbey also decided to take the linking option which ensures perfect symmetry, row upon row.

The international design award, Reddot 2014, described the Theo as having an ‘elegant design that illustrates its own manufacturing method and is marked by a sophisticated flexing mechanism.’

• Trinity Church Furniture will be on stand O4 at CRE National 2022

Book your tickets to CRE National 2022 for as little as £3 (£8 on the door)

Our next exhibitions