Friar Park x Niwaki Cap

Last updated: 25 October 2026

What the Friar Park Niwaki cap is

Niwaki calls this cap its classic sun and rain shade, remade in black for the Friar Park collection. It has a flat top, a short curved peak and a band that runs round the front. On that band, the Niwaki logo and the Friar Park name sit side by side in white.

You adjust the fit with a brass clamp buckle on a canvas strap at the back. It weighs 95g, about the same as a pack of playing cards.

Niwaki suggests leaving it out in the garden for a week or two if it looks too new, so the sun and rain can fade it. Otherwise, it is hand wash and line dry only.

Friar Park, the garden behind the collection

Friar Park is a neo-Gothic house in Henley-on-Thames. A lawyer, Sir Frank Crisp, built it in the 1890s as a weekend retreat. He filled the grounds with a scaled-down Matterhorn, flooded grottoes, a Japanese garden, a topiary Dial Garden and hundreds of garden gnomes.

By 1970 the house was falling apart and the gardens were overgrown. George Harrison took it on that year and spent the next 31 years restoring it. He also wrote a song about its builder, Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll), which came out on All Things Must Pass in 1970.

Since George died in 2001, his wife Olivia has led the renovation of the gardens. Dhani Harrison runs the estate with his family today, and he is also co-head of Dark Horse Records, the label his father founded in 1974.

How Dhani Harrison and Niwaki came together

Dhani found Niwaki after a visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He is interested in bonsai, topiary and Japan, and he got to know the team at Niwaki's London shop and its founder, Jake Hobson. Hobson trained as a sculptor at the Slade, then went to Japan on a travel award and came back to start the business.

"Having a passion for Bonsai and Topiary, I immediately fell in love with the craftsmanship and spirit of Niwaki," Dhani says on Niwaki's collection page. Speaking to Wallpaper*, he went further: "Japan, as a concept, is probably the most inspirational thing in my life."

Hobson told the same magazine that "a garden is never finished, and that's how a garden can live through generations".

The rest of the Friar Park x Niwaki collection

The cap and the lunch bag are the cheapest pieces in the collection, at £36 each. The colours take their cue from the deep red of a Japanese maple in autumn. These are the prices of the main pieces at Niwaki:

The Collector's Edition tool bag has already sold out. It held most of the collection plus a 7 inch single of Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll), which is otherwise only sold in Niwaki's shops.

The Dark Horse Records takeover on Chiltern Street

From 26 to 30 October 2026, Dark Horse Records is taking over the ground floor of Niwaki's London shop at 38 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QL. It is open from 10:30am to 6pm each day, with rare and limited-edition vinyl from George Harrison, Nina Simone, Billy Idol and Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Buy a record and it goes home in a Niwaki x Dark Horse Records tote while stocks last.

The shop can only be reached by stairs, so it is not step-free. If you are near Marylebone that week, it is a chance to see the full collection in person, the cap included. Details are on Niwaki's events page.

Buying the Friar Park Niwaki cap

The cap costs £36 at Niwaki and comes in one colour, black. UK delivery is £4 by Royal Mail Tracked 48, usually two to five working days, or £7.50 for next working day on orders placed before noon. Orders over £100 get free UK delivery. Niwaki also ships worldwide.

Niwaki is selling the collection in limited quantities, so if you want the cap as a Christmas present, order it soon.

See the cap at Niwaki

The downsides of the cap

The single size. Niwaki gives no head measurements. The rear buckle adjusts the fit, but if you are between sizes on most caps, there is no way to check before it arrives.

The care rules. It is hand wash and line dry only. A cap you wear for gardening will get muddy, so it needs more care than a machine-washable one.

Where it is made. The cap is made in China, unlike the Japanese tools Niwaki is known for.

The £4 delivery. On a £36 cap, delivery adds about 11%. Free delivery starts at £100, so it only goes away if you buy something else from Niwaki at the same time.

Who the cap suits

It suits a gardener who wants a cap to keep the sun and rain off and who loves George Harrison's music. It is also a good present for a Beatles fan with a garden, at a price well below the rest of the collection. For more ideas, see our gifts for green fingers and our round-up of the best garden gadgets in the UK.

Friar Park Niwaki cap: FAQs

How much is the Friar Park x Niwaki cap?

£36 at Niwaki, plus £4 UK delivery on orders under £100. I checked the price and stock on 25 October 2026.

What is Friar Park?

A neo-Gothic estate in Henley-on-Thames, built by Sir Frank Crisp in the 1890s. George Harrison bought it in 1970 and spent 31 years restoring the house and gardens. His family still runs it.

Was Dhani Harrison involved?

Yes. Dhani Harrison, George's son, worked with Niwaki on the collection. He runs Friar Park with his family and is co-head of Dark Horse Records.

What is the cap made of?

Black 16oz canvas, with a brass clamp buckle at the back. It weighs 95g and is made in China.

How do I wash it?

Hand wash and line dry only. Do not put it in the washing machine.

Can I buy it in a shop?

Yes. Niwaki sells the collection at its London shop, 38 Chiltern Street, and at its Dorset headquarters in Semley, as well as online.

Which song is about Friar Park?

Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll), from George Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass. It is named after the man who built the house.

Prices and stock change, so check Niwaki before you buy. I checked the price, stock and delivery terms on Niwaki on 25 October 2026.

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