Garden Arch Ideas To Improve Your Outdoor Space

A wooden garden arch is one of the easiest ways to improve your garden. It gives climbers something to grow on and makes an old gate or path look planned.

Sheffield gardens are rarely flat or square, and many are built into the hillside. Plenty of others are long, thin strips behind a Victorian terrace. A timber arch works in both, as long as it's the right size and properly fixed.

At Hillsborough Fencing, the arch questions we hear most are "Which arch should I buy?" and "How do I stop my arch from blowing over?" Below are eight ways our customers use arches, followed by our advice on planting and fitting arches in your garden.

Which garden arch suits Sheffield gardens best?

For most gardens in Sheffield, we recommend pressure-treated timber arches, as they last longer and are easy to screw trellis or hooks into. This means less ongoing maintenance and more options when it comes to design.

We recommend:

• The Rose Arch if you have a small garden or narrow borders.
• The Omega Top Arch for splitting different parts of your garden up.
• The Flat Top Arch for using over steps or at the edge of a patio.
• The Elite Omega Top Arch for going over garden gates.

Comparing wooden garden arches

All four of our garden arches are made from timber pressure-treated to Use Class 4. That is the treatment grade for wood in contact with the ground, meaning it lasts longer than a standard treatment.

All our garden arches arrive flat-packed and can be assembled in your garden. This makes them easier to deliver and install straight away.

Rose Arch (£87.99)

The Rose Arch is 1.25m wide, 0.40m deep and 2.80m tall. It has a tall, rounded top and square trellis sides, which give climbers plenty to hold on to and leave room for a hanging basket or two.

Cover it in roses, clematis or honeysuckle for a softer, cottage-garden feel.

Omega Top Arch (£150.00)

The Omega Top Arch is 1.25m wide, 0.60m deep and 2.60m tall. It pairs a gently curved top with diamond trellis sides that climbers can easily weave through.

It goes together without much fuss and makes a natural doorway from one part of the garden to the next.

Flat Top Arch (£195.00)

The Flat Top Arch is 1.25m wide, 0.60m deep and 2.40m tall, making it the shortest of our timber arches. Its straight top makes it a good fit over steps, at the edge of a patio or across a side path.

It's a solid, chunky frame built to stand for years, and like the rest of the range, it's pressure-treated to Use Class 4.

Elite Omega Top Arch (£279.00)

The Elite Omega Top Arch is the largest arch we sell, at 1.30m wide, 0.75m deep and 2.60m tall. It has the same curved top and diamond trellis as the Omega Top, on a deeper, heavier frame.

That extra depth makes it the one to choose for a main entrance or for going over a garden gate.

8 wooden garden arch ideas for your garden

1. Frame your garden gate with an arch

An arch over a gate turns the plain entrance to your garden into something people notice straight away.

For a gate, always choose a deeper, sturdier arch. The Elite Omega Top Arch is 0.75m deep, which gives it a wider base and makes it steadier around a gate that's opened and shut every day.

You can also pair it with one of our pre-made matching garden gates so your gate and arch match. Measure your gate opening before you buy and make sure the arch legs sit just outside the gate posts and not on top of them.

2. Split a long garden into separate areas

Many Sheffield homes have long, narrow gardens, especially behind older terraces. An arch halfway down the garden will help to break up the view and make the garden feel more like two spaces rather than one.

The Omega Top Arch works well because its gentle curve and diamond trellis look good from both sides, and climbers soon soften the frame. You can also line your arch up with the back door or a window so you see straight through your garden.

3. Frame steps in a sloping garden

Sheffield is hilly and so are our gardens, so an arch at the top or bottom of some steps or a slope will help you mark the change in level and make an unused area of your garden more attractive.

The Flat Top Arch is made for framing steps and patios. Its straight top suits the clean lines of steps and sleeper walls. When using the arch on a slope, make sure both legs are set at the right depth so the arch stands level, even if the ground isn't.

4. Grow a classic rose arch

Climbing roses trained over a curved top arch give your garden the traditional cottage look, and they'll give you colour and scent all summer.

Our Rose Arch has a pronounced curve and square trellis sides that roses can be tied into. At 2.80m tall, it leaves room for growth to hang down without catching your head.

5. Create a seating spot under or beside an arch

An arch can create a great seating area when you add a bench up against a fence or hedge and grow something over the top. Once the climbers fill in, it gives you a shady spot to sit and enjoy the garden.

If you'd rather have a seat built into your arch, take a look at our arbours, or browse our garden furniture to pair with your timber arch. Our furniture is made from the same or similar timber as our arches, so the two sit well together.

6. Line a path with a run of arches

Two or three arches in a row along a path will create a garden tunnel, or archway, to help split up your garden into different sections. You can also use climbers to fill in the gaps.

Garden tunnels work best on a straight path at least 5m long. You can use the same arch for each, so the line looks tidy, and space them evenly, around 2m apart.

The Omega Top and Flat Top arches share the same 1.25m × 0.60m frame size, so you can also mix a curved arch at each end with flat tops in between.

7. Add height to a small garden

Small gardens usually have more room going up than across. Adding a garden arch adds height without using up much space, and helps to pull everything together.

The Rose Arch is our slimmest at just 0.40m deep, so it fits against a fence line or across a narrow side return much better than our other arches.

8. Dress your arch through the seasons

During the winter and once the flowers have finished, your timber arch can still be used by adding outdoor festive decorations like fairy lights through the trellis, or by hanging a wreath.

In spring and summer, hanging baskets on the sides add colour to your garden while slower climbers are still establishing.

Best climbing plants for a garden arch

The best climbers for a garden arch are clematis, climbing roses and honeysuckle. All three are hardy enough to get through a Sheffield winter.

• Clematis will flower anywhere from late spring to autumn, depending on the variety.
• Climbing roses flower through summer, and many flower more than once in a season.
• Honeysuckle has a strong scent in the evening, so it's a good one to plant around your garden patios or furniture.
• Star jasmine keeps its leaves in winter, but it needs a sheltered, sunny spot to make sure it grows to its full potential.
• Sweet peas or runner beans will cover a new arch while your climbers grow through the first few seasons.

Always make sure you plant climbers around 30cm out from the base of each leg, leaning in towards the arch. Tie young stems to the trellis as they grow, then prune after flowering to keep the centre of the arch clear of plants.

One plant on each side is usually enough for a single arch. Avoid very vigorous climbers like Russian vine or rambling roses, which can outgrow and overload a timber frame, making it unstable.

How to fit and secure a wooden garden arch

The most important part of fitting a garden arch is fixing it to the ground securely. Once climbers cover it, an arch catches the wind very easily, meaning strong winter winds can pull your arch out of the ground if it's not secured.

• Before you buy, push two canes into the ground where the legs will go and walk through. You want at least 2.1m (7ft) of headroom once plants start hanging down from the arch.
• Build the arch flat on the garden or patio, following the instructions, then lift it into place with a second person.
• In soil, dig a hole for each leg, stand the arch up and check it's level with a spirit level before you fill around each leg with post mix.
• On a patio, skip the digging step and use bolt-down post supports fixed into the slabs.
• Let the post mix set fully before you plant anything or tie anything onto your arch.

How to look after a timber arch

A pressure-treated arch needs very little maintenance. But these habits will keep it strong for many years:

• If you cut a leg or rail of the arch, make sure to brush preservative onto the bare end so water can't soak in, as this will help to reduce rot.
• Treated timber fades to a silver-grey over time. If you'd rather keep the colour, apply a stain or preservative every couple of years.
• Pull soil, leaves and mulch back from the legs of your arch so that water doesn't sit against the wood.
• Each spring, tighten any loose screws and give the arch a push to check the base hasn't moved over winter.

What our customers say about us

At Hillsborough Fencing, we have supplied timber, fencing and garden products to homes across Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley since 1993. Here is what our customers have to say about our timber products.

Julie Sheraton

"Our first visit to Hillsborough Fencing and Timber, as it is quite a distance from our home town, and what pleasant experience. We could not get what we needed from diy stores nearer home so Googled what we needed and you were there in the search engine. Got everything we needed with the help of Josh who I cannot praise enough. He was not just very helpful but friendly, pleasant and definitely went the extra mile. Thank you so much, it is now my go to place, also very reasonably priced"

Adam Fisher

"Brilliant! Just arrived home to find my delivery of timber placed exactly where I requested. Timber looks of good quality, all as straight as it should be. I wouldn't use anywhere else now. They go the extra mile, you don't get this with other nearby firms. Thank you"

Frequently asked questions about garden arches

How high should a garden arch be?

A garden arch should give at least 2.1m (7ft) of headroom so you can walk through once climbers start to hang down in the summer. All our timber arches range from 2.40m to 2.80m tall.

How do you secure a garden arch to the ground?

Make sure to set each leg in concrete using post mix, checking that it's level before the mix sets. If you are installing your arch on a patio or decking, use bolt-down post supports instead. Your arch shouldn't bend in the wind and should not move in any direction once set.

What is the difference between a garden arch and an arbour?

A garden arch is a frame you walk through, usually over a path, gate or stairway. An arbour is an arch with a built-in seat, so you can sit under the arch. You can buy an arch and seat separately to create your own arbour, or buy an arbour from Hillsborough Fencing.

Which climbing plants are best for a garden arch?

Clematis, climbing roses and honeysuckle are the best climbers for a garden arch. For winter cover, you can add an evergreen like star jasmine. But make sure to avoid rambling roses and Russian vine, as these can grow really big very quickly.

Can you put a garden arch on a patio?

Yes. Fix each leg to the slabs with bolt-down post supports, then grow climbers in large planters at the base so the roots have enough room.

Is a wooden or metal garden arch better?

A pressure-treated wooden arch is sturdier and easier to customise. You can screw on trellis, hooks or lights, and the timber arch can match fences and gates. Thicker posts also hold up better in windy gardens.

Where can I buy a wooden garden arch in Sheffield?

You can buy wooden garden arches from Hillsborough Fencing, on Livesey Street in Sheffield. We stock four pressure-treated designs from £87.99, with local delivery or free click and collect.