For over 33 years we've been leading the way in the supply of both 'Domestic' and 'Commercial' Polytunnels. We've helped extend the growing season for gardeners big and small...whether you're growing fruit and vegetables for you and your family or commercial crops, plants and flowers. We also work closely with Schools...bringing the outdoor classroom to the next generation. We've even supplied celebrity gardeners including Alan Titchmarsh, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Bob Flowerdew, to name but a few...all proud owners of our Polytunnels. All First Tunnels Polytunnels are made to the same exacting quality standards..we simply call the bigger models 'Commercial' But whether you’re growing for fun...or growing for profit...the choice of a 'Domestic Polytunnel' or 'Commercial Polytunnels' is entirely yours.
For over 32 years we've been leading the way - whether it's product innovation, great prices, fantastic service, or by getting the country's top gardening and food experts to help us develop the polytunnels they chose to use themselves - people like Alan Titchmarsh, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bob Flowerdew, Mark Gatter, Andy McKee, Sam Youd and Paul Peacock. Our customers must think we're getting it right too - because we now sell over 3000 tunnels per year! But don't just take the celebrities word for it. What better way to learn about company dependability, product quality and customer service than to hear it straight from other consumers?
By giving customers the opportunity to share their First Tunnels shopping experience, we believe this is the best reflection of our companies product and service. To help reinforce credibility, popularity and reputation, we have subscribed to not one, not two, not three....... but FOUR independent review companies allowing you to praise or complain about First Tunnels.
We value all feedback, good, bad or ugly and hope to build a long lasting relationship with our customer, through our high quality products and friendly service, to ensure they do not hesitate to order again and again with First Tunnels in the future.
At First Tunnels Ltd we offer several methods of payment to suit our customers.
The most common way of ordering any item from our website is with a Credit or Debit card (Please note we only accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro). The transaction will be processed immediately through a secure SagePay system and allows First Tunnels to offer a fast delivery service.
We also accept payments via Paypal, this allows you to pay for your item in just a few clicks, a leader in secure online payments.
If you do not have a credit or debit card available, you may choose to pay via cheque.
Postal Payments should be Sent To:
First Tunnels Ltd, Shorten Brook Way, Altham Industrial Estate, BB5 5YJ
When compared to a greenhouse, the cost of the polytunnel is much lower and this means your budget will stretch further.
Not including delivery or installation costs, the savings compared to a greenhouse can be hundreds of pounds.
A basic no-frills greenhouse measuring 6 by 8 foot will set you back at least £400 with the equivalent sized polytunnel costing nearly a hundred pound less. For just over £400, you could have a 6 foot by 20-foot polytunnel – just imagine all that extra growing space!
Add to the fact that with a polytunnel, there is no need for a base and maintenance costs are lower too – no glass panes to replace! You can see why the commercial grower and domestic gardener is looking to the polytunnel as the solution they need
And with our great prices and our no-catch Bonus Save Scheme, along with helpful advice and after sales support, there is no better place to buy your polytunnel than from First Tunnels.
The polytunnel is a hive of activity all year round with the seasons of spring, summer and autumn seeing it burst at the seams with all kinds of plants.
From exotic plants and crops to raising seedlings, the polytunnel creates the ideal microclimate for all kinds of plants and crops.
Because it protects plants from the weather, it presents a more manageable and stable environment. This means that the growing season is extended so you will still be picking fruits and vegetables late into the autumn. But it also means you can start to plant earlier in the year too.
And to prove it, there are many accolades being collected by commercial growers and domestic gardeners. Farmer and food producers are winning industry awards for growing vegetables and fruits that would normally struggle in our notoriously changeable weather patterns. For example, growing varieties of chillies in polytunnels here in the UK, widening choice for the consumer.
And Chelsea Flower gold medal winners use polytunnels to grow key plants for their upcoming garden designs over many growing seasons, again because the polytunnel is the ideal growing environment.
Growing in the tunnel is not difficult but you will need to make changes to your normal planting and growing routine but we have it covered with our growing guide for every month of the year. Why not join award winning gardeners and commercial growers by growing a fantastic range of fruit and veg?
Make no mistake constructing a polytunnel is not a little project to amuse you over an idle Sunday afternoon. A 12ft x 25ft can be constructed in a day by knowledgeable constructors but it would be prudent to pencil in two days for a "virgin" constructor. The flip side is that if you can put together a piece of flat-pack furniture, you should have no real trouble with a polytunnel.
Each year First Tunnels sells over 3000 polytunnels. Each of those customers erected their own polytunnel without any difficulty, thanks to the comprehensive and detailed instructions that we have produced with our dedicated team of constructors click to view.
If you are experiencing problems with your polytunnel construction or just need a little bit of technical support, you can contact us or use the helpline 01282 601253 9am-5pm Monday to Friday and 07801 601253 at the weekend (please note this service is NOT available over the Christmas period and Bank Holidays). This allows you to talk directly to one of our constructors, ask their expert opinion, get the answer and complete your polytunnel.
Lost or damaged your instructions? Lent them to a friend and not got them back! No problem, you can download ALL our polytunnel construction guides for FREE!
You'll find numerous videos relating to the construction of our polytunnels - typical movies show the method used to assemble doors, hoops, foundations and most importantly the method we employ when fitting the cover.
You'll need several basic items of equipment - spade, tape measure, pegs and string for marking out, lump hammer, a drill and metal bits. Also spanners - or even better a socket set - both Philips and flat headed screwdrivers, scissors or a Stanley knife, hammer and saw. A step ladder will also come in handy. When it comes to fitting the polythene cover, check out our windy weather forecast map...An invaluable tool!
A 12ft x 25ft polytunnel would typically consist of approx 10 items and weigh 160kg in total - this can vary depending on the additional options that you choose. Obviously smaller and larger sized structures will differ. A large commercial structure could weigh as much as a ton.
The majority of polytunnels will be despatched via a nationwide carrier and although we will try and accommodate any special requests regarding delivery we cannot guarantee a specific date or time. Domestic polytunnels are normally despatched within 5 working days, for commercial sized structures we would ask for approx 15 working days for delivery. At peak periods this may increase. Once the polytunnel has left our building, we will confirm despatch by e mail or telephone to advise an expected delivery date. To view our current lead times please click here.
If you have any questions regarding delivery please telephone our office on 01282 601253 and we will try and accommodate any special requests you have.
Domestic polytunnel sizes start from 6ft - 14ft wide and can be as long as 32ft in length. Commercial polytunnels which are more suitable for businesses start at 16ft and go up to 30ft in width and can be made up to 90ft in length. For protecting smaller areas of crops, you can get handy mini polytunnels which function in the same way, but on a much smaller scale.
You will need to measure the space in your garden to decide on the size of polytunnel you want to build. Also take into consideration what you want to use it for, for example, if you want to grow bumper crop of vegetables every year to share with the community, you’ll need more space than you would to grow for just your family. Measure your land carefully and be sure to leave a few feet around the construction to allow you to carry out maintenance easily.
