Sam Wilmot has reviewed more than 300 benches around the world, giving each one a rating based on comfort, design, location and view. He had never given a 10/10 until he revisited a bench at St John The Baptist Church when he tied the knot earlier this summer.
Sam and his wife Sophie initially scored the bench a nine on a previous visit. But the couple say being able to sit together as newlyweds bumped the rating of the seat in Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire, up to a perfect 10.
Why the bench earned a perfect 10
He said: "People are always asking why there's never been a 10. I'm never going to sit on a bench again that's going to have that feeling."
"I always said a 10 would come with hindsight after reviewing all the benches, but I think on that particular day, the euphoria of getting married is very difficult to top. It was one of those moments in life that you would never be able to recreate, so that boosted it to the 10."
"It's one of the benches near to home that we always return to if we need some outdoors time - there's a great view of the sunset. We've gone there for picnics, hot drinks, or just to sit and take a moment. It's nice and peaceful, away from everything, and it happens to be near a really lovely church, so we applied to get married there."
How the bench reviewing hobby began
The couple, who have been together for six years, have visited hundreds of benches together, with Sophie serving as the unofficial photographer for Sam's Instagram page, Rate This Bench. The pair first visited this particular bench in 2020 and have returned there many times in the years since.
"I think it was date number four when I asked if she would take a photo of me on a bench while we were in town," said Sam. "From there, she's been involved in near enough every photo - for a long while she was the taxi driver as well and she has made an appearance or two along the way."
"When we were coming out of lockdown and they said you could explore further afield, we walked there and ended up queuing for that particular bench. It was relatively newly installed at the time and there was somebody sitting on it, so we had to wait our turn to get the photo."
Bench-themed wedding touches
Sam and Sophie had many nods to their bench reviewing hobby throughout their wedding - visiting their perfect bench for photos, naming their tables after benches they've rated and having Sophie's father build them a bench for guests to sign in lieu of a guestbook.
"We initially didn't want it to be dominated by benches, but it's something that's been a part of our lives for so long that eventually Soph leaned into the idea," Sam said. "I think it went down really well. We had a great party with family, friends, lots of music and dancing - it was the best day of our lives."
Sam believes another bench may someday score a perfect 10, but said it would have to be very special to match this one: "I'm sure in life, we'll come across another bench that does score highly for a different reason. That bench very much has a sentimental value to us, so I think the next one that does score as highly will have to be for a different reason."
Previous reviews and ratings
A Bridgwater War Memorial bench in Somerset previously received a 5/10. A bench in Lee Abbey, Devon, received a higher score, with seven points and was praised for its location and scenery.
In Sam's previous review of the 10/10 bench he wrote: "As benches go, this is as near to perfect as you'll find. Beautifully crafted, perfectly placed and lovingly donated by a man's family."
"My bio is this quote from Samuel Beckett, 'we spend our life, it's ours, trying to bring together in the same instant a day of sunshine and a free bench'. I fully believe this to be true. I waited patiently to sit on this bench as a courting couple spoke of life's wonders and love. But it was worth the wait."
"A break in the rain and finally some sunshine offered the perfect chance to take in the view and what a view it was. If you ever wondered why this page exists, it's for moments like this. A solid bench, comfortable seating, firm arm rests, a touching plaque and a slabbed base."
"I have no recommendations for this bench other than to the people smoking dank in a graveyard at midday, have a little common decency for the dead and those around you. I'd love to have a bench such as this dedicated to me one day. Quality, 9/10."
"The reason this is not a 10 is because I don't know what the perfect bench will be until I have rated my final bench and reflect on the best ones. But there's every chance with hindsight this will be it. This is my favourite bench to date."
One of the worst-rated benches was in Bathampton, near Bath, which received just 3/10 and a scathing review. Sam wrote: "I'm convinced this is a chiropractor's bench, it was on a slope along the canal, but the top of the back rest was mid-back, which made it good for leaning against to stretch out stiffness. It was very low, pretty uncomfortable, there was no solid base, no plaque, no arm rests, barely a view and far too many people about. It's in desperate need of some treatment and tidying too. Not a bench I'll be rushing back to. 3/10."
