Thornby Compact Corner Lounge Set in Natural Rattan

Will this fit a smaller patio without taking over?

The Thornby is sized for the new-build patio or terraced courtyard that cannot accommodate a full-size 8-seater corner lounge. A full-size set typically needs around 3m by 3m of paving to clear walkways behind the seats. Once it is in, you cannot walk past carrying a washing basket, and you have lost the route to the lawn.

For exact footprint measurements on this set, ring our Sapcote Garden Centre showroom on 01455 274748 and our helpful and knowledgeable team can pull piece-by-piece dimensions over the phone, seven days a week. In the meantime, mark out where you want the L-shape to sit using masking tape on the slabs, then walk past with a basket of laundry or stand in the back-door swing.

Is the Thornby a new range? What's the heritage behind it?

Thornby is the newest village name in our range, joining Sapcote, Burbage, Burton and Sharnford, all named after Leicestershire villages a short drive from where we are. The set itself is new, but the core build is unchanged from the rest of our line: an aluminium structure under a 0.2mm powder-coated finish, with hand-woven UV-stabilised rattan over the frame. We have been selling that build from our Leicestershire showroom since 2001, and the Thornby fills the gap between our Burbage corner lounges and the smaller companion sets, for when you want the L-shape layout at a sensible size.

Will the Natural rattan mark or fade in the sun?

Marking shows more readily on a cream weave than on charcoal or brown, simply because pollen, leaf-tannin streaks, and bird mess are more visible against a light tone. Lighter rattan does need a quick hose-off where a charcoal set might not. The good news is the surface does not absorb the marks: UV-stabilised HDPE is a sealed polymer, so dirt sits on top rather than soaking in, and rinses away with garden-hose pressure. Cheaper PVC weave soaks up stains and yellows; ours doesn't.

On fading: UV stabilisation matters more on a light weave, not less, because unprotected rattan bleaches pale sooner than dark colours hide it. The whole Thornby range carries the UV stabiliser, so the Natural doesn't fade through full UK summers. In our experience, customers come back ten or fifteen years later saying their cream rattan still looks cream rather than the dirty beige a budget set ends up as.

Is it really all-weather, no cover needed?

Yes. The frame is aluminium, which cannot rust, and the finish is a 0.2mm powder coating, two to three times thicker than what most aluminium garden furniture carries, so it doesn't break down through wet winters and freezing nights. The weave on top is hand-woven and UV-stabilised, so it will not fade, rot or go brittle outdoors.

Leave the structure out through every season with no cover, which saves the hassle and the £50 to £100 a cover would cost. The cushions are the only part with an evening routine; bring them indoors or pop them inside a deck box.

How does this compare to other compact corner sets at this price?

Cheaper compact sets at this size use steel frames that rust within a couple of winters and PVC rattan that goes brittle in the sun. You would be replacing the set sooner and dealing with rust streaks on your paving in the meantime, which shows up more obviously on cream slabs.

Considering a brand-name compact corner set at £2,000 or more? You would be paying mainly for the marketing and the polished website. The actual furniture is almost exactly the same as ours: aluminium frame, UV-stabilised rattan, hand-woven over the same powder-coated structure. We design our own Thornby range and sell it direct from our family-run Leicestershire showroom since 2001, without the excessive markup of big name brands.

How much assembly is required?

Only the table. The chairs arrive fully assembled. The table base is four panels that screw together with two screws per side, then four screws attach the tabletop. All screws are included, and a screwdriver is the only tool you should need.

Delivery is included in the price, 3-7 working days to mainland UK. Your furniture is delivered on pallets via our courier, and we'll email you a timed delivery window so you're not waiting around all day.

Worth knowing: our courier delivers to the kerbside or driveway, they won't take items around the back of the house, and the pallet and boxes are left with you. If you'd prefer a white-glove delivery with set-up and rubbish taken away, get in touch and we can usually help.

We dispatch from our Leicestershire garden centre. "In stock" means we have it here, ready to send, not drop-shipped from a third-party warehouse.

Returns: if you're not happy, let us know within 7 days and you can return it within 30 days for a refund (minus return delivery costs). The furniture must be in its original condition and packaging, and we'll arrange the collection with you.