Plas Newydd's green sofa gets couch potatoes outdoors

The sofa is made of 20 or more hay bales covered in grass

A green sofa and coffee table have been installed in the gardens of Plas Newydd, Anglesey, in a bid to get families outdoors.

Research commissioned by the National Trust found that families in Wales spend an average 40 hours a week on the sofa.

So in the spirit of their founder, Octavia Hill, who wanted to create open-air sitting rooms for everyone to enjoy, they decided to 'plant' couches at some of their properties.

"They're there for people to sit on and enjoy the view," said Llyr Huws Gruffydd of the National Trust in Wales.

The one at Plas Newydd is made of hay bales covered in grass and it's still growing.

We're even thinking of growing our own permanent sofa in the gardens Richard Williams, Plas Newydd

"We haven't had to worry about how much water they're getting this week," said Llyr.

The Trust's research found that an average family spend almost 13 weeks annually - or a year and a half over a lifetime - doing nothing but sitting down.

But despite this, 76% of parents did admit that they'd like to do more outdoor activities with their children.

"We're saying come on, we've got these great outdoor facilities available to all in Wales, why not promise to spend more time outside?" said Llyr.

Richard Williams, visitors operational manager at Plas Newydd confirmed that the sofa has been a big hit.

"People seem to absolutely love it," he said. "The first day it was put in, we had a whole gang of children jumping all over it. They were amazed how comfortable it is, and how it's constructed."

Challenge

The plan was to move the sofa to Erddig Gardens in Wrexham this weekend, but this is proving to be a bit of a logistical challenge.

"It's built of around 20 hay bales, which have been watered so the grass can grow on top," Richard explained. "They're all on pallets, so we'll need a big tractor to move it."

If it proves too difficult, Richard is quite happy to hang on to it.

"I'll be clinging on to it as long as we can," he said. "And we're even thinking of growing our own permanent sofa in the gardens."