null

Garden Sleepers and Timber Sleepers

Garden sleepers are multi functional; you can create raised beds, borders, planters, or just add a stylish focal point to any outdoor living space. The durability of natural wood sleepers makes it the perfect alternative to bricks and stone.

Filters

Check local branch stock

  • Special Offer
    Green Incised Softwood UC4 Treated Sleeper Green Incised Softwood UC4 Treated Sleeper
    Special Offer

    Green Incised Softwood UC4 Treated Sleeper

    £9.95 - £36.48 each (Ex VAT)
    £11.94 - £43.78 each (Inc VAT)
    Sleepers are a fantastic multipurpose feature for garden and landscaping projects. Popular uses include raised garden beds, pathways, edging or borders, steps, and even fences or walls. These incised softwood sleepers are made from European softwood and...
    £9.95 - £36.48 each (Ex VAT)
    £11.94 - £43.78 each (Inc VAT)
  • Special Offer
    European Untreated Oak Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm European Untreated Oak Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm
    Special Offer

    European Untreated Oak Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm

    Sleepers are always a popular product due to their versatility. They are often used as garden retainers, horizontally or sometimes dug into the ground and used vertically. Other popular applications are for steps and increasingly for growing vegetables...
  • Green Redwood UC4 Treated Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm Green Redwood UC4 Treated Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm

    Green Redwood UC4 Treated Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm

    Sleepers are a fantastic multipurpose feature for garden and landscaping projects. Popular uses include raised garden beds, pathways, edging or borders, steps, and even fences or walls. These incised softwood sleepers are made from European softwood and...
  • Green Softwood UC3u Treated Sleeper FSC Green Softwood UC3u Treated Sleeper FSC

    Green Softwood UC3u Treated Sleeper FSC

    £35.90 - £36.30 each (Ex VAT)
    £43.08 - £43.56 each (Inc VAT)
    Sleepers are always a popular product due to their versatility. They are often used as garden retainers, horizontally or sometimes dug into the ground and used vertically. Other popular applications are for steps and increasingly for growing vegetables...
    £35.90 - £36.30 each (Ex VAT)
    £43.08 - £43.56 each (Inc VAT)
  • Brown UC3u Treated Sawn Garden Sleeper 125 x 250 x 2400mm Brown UC3u Treated Sawn Garden Sleeper 125 x 250 x 2400mm

    Brown UC3u Treated Sawn Garden Sleeper 125 x 250 x 2400mm

    Sleepers are always a popular product due to their versatility. They are often used as garden retainers, horizontally or sometimes dug into the ground and used vertically. Other popular applications are for steps and increasingly for growing vegetables...
  • Brown Charred Brushwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 125 x 250 x 2400mm Brown Charred Brushwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 125 x 250 x 2400mm

    Brown Charred Brushwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 125 x 250 x 2400mm

    Sleepers are always a popular product due to their versatility. They are often used as garden retainers, horizontally or sometimes dug into the ground and used vertically. Other popular applications are for steps and increasingly for growing vegetables...
  • Brown Softwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 95 x 195 x 2400mm Brown Softwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 95 x 195 x 2400mm

    Brown Softwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 95 x 195 x 2400mm

    Sleepers are a fantastic multipurpose feature for garden and landscaping projects. Popular uses include raised garden beds, pathways, edging or borders, steps, and even fences or walls. These brown softwood sleepers are made from softwood and pressure...
  • Rustic Redwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm Rustic Redwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm

    Rustic Redwood UC3u Treated Garden Sleeper 100 x 200 x 2400mm

    Redwood sleepers can be used for pathway edges, steps, path steps , benches and much more only your imagination limits the uses! Made from more durable redwoods and pressure treated.

Garden Sleepers

What are Garden Sleepers?

Garden sleepers are a traditional bedding piece that sits flat on top of the earth, grass, pavement etc and supports itself. It is different to a joist which is placed horizontally along its edge and typically supported at both ends.

Although now a popular part of landscaping, they are referred to as “railway sleepers” due to their historic use to support tracks across our railway networks. These days, garden sleepers have generally been replaced by concrete alternatives.

Uses for Timber Sleepers:

There are many common things that sleepers for the garden can be used for including:

  • To define borders and garden edging
  • Create raised bed sleepers and planters
  • Seating
  • As the perimeter for ponds and garden features
  • Play pits and sandpits

Whilst timber sleepers can be used as a shed base or to build steps, they are typically too expensive for either of these and not worth it

At Howarth Timber, we offer a wide range of sleepers for the garden, including:

  • Sawn Green Treated Sleepers
  • New European Oak Sleepers
  • Rustic Redwood Sleepers

Please Note: The sleepers you receive may not be cut perfectly square at the ends, which makes it difficult to guarantee measurements will be as stated. This should be taken into consideration before purchasing.

The timber used is a natural product and may include knots in the grain, which will affect the overall appearance of the sleeper.

If you want to know how to build a raised garden bed with sleepers, we have created a guide for you. Click here to find out more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do Wood Sleepers last?
How long wooden sleepers last depends largely on what species of wood used and how they are treated, as well as the environmental conditions that they are subjected to throughout their life. As a rule, hardwood oak sleepers tend to last the longest naturally with an expected lifespan of around 100 years. An untreated softwood will last for between three and five years if it sits on the ground, whilst treated softwoods can last between 20 and 30 years if they are maintained correctly.
What wood is used to make Railway Sleepers?
In the UK, railway sleepers were traditionally made from spruce, pine or fir mix conifers as these were the predominant species available locally when train tracks were originally being laid. Whilst softwoods remain the most popular option for sleepers, oak sleepers are also an option if you are looking for something more durable. All wood used to create our sleepers is sourced from sustainable woodlands.
Do I need to apply treatments to the Wood Sleepers?
No, you don’t have to, however, some people choose for cosmetic purposes, for example, if they wish to maintain a consistent colour. Most wooden sleepers will naturally fade to a grey colour because of long-term exposure to the suns UV rays, which ages the wood.
How to join timber sleepers?
It is critical to use stainless steel crews to join your sleepers. You must select screws that will pierce deeply into both sleepers. To avoid splitting, remember to pre-drill before inserting the screw.

How to guides

How to fit railway sleepers together

Read our article on how to fit railway sleepers together including a checklist of what you will need for the job.

How to build a raised garden bed with sleepers

How to build a raised garden bed with sleepers using our timber products.

Customer Inspiration

Newsletter Sign Up