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Our ash range of wardrobes offers a contemporary style, fit for any modern bedroom. The cheapest double wardrobe which we can offer is the York 2 Door Wardrobe. And the cheapest triple wardrobe we can offer is the Country Solid Oak Triple Wardrobe.  Why not take a look at some of our Indian Beds to finish of the look?

Ash wardrobes – shock resistant furniture!
If you’re looking for a good price and excellent quality then consider the Devonshire ash wardrobes with dovetailed joints, tongue and groves bases to any drawers and all backs, they offer very competitive prices and quality in the way they are built.   Ash is a native hardwood of the UK.  It is easily recognised by the grey bark and matt black buds for the leaves.  It is a good, shockproof timber which is why it used to be used for the spokes of cartwheels and for tool handles, such as hammers, axes and so forth.  During the 20th century ash was also used as the frame for the bodywork of a great number of vehicles.  The most obvious example is perhaps the Morris Minor Traveller which has an external ash frame to the rear part, but many other makes of car also used this system of construction.  Manufacturers such as Alvis, Riley and Rover.

Perfect for cars, trucks and buses
It wasn’t just car makers that used this system however, lorry manufacturers such as AEC, ERF, Foden, Bedford, Commer, Ford, Dennis all made their cabs using ash frames to which steel sheeting was fixed.  Interestingly AEC or the Associated Equipment Company, to give it its full title was originally started by London Transport to manufacture its horse-drawn buses.  These were coach-built using methods that were similar to furniture manufacture, including making ash wardrobes.

Of course the difference between making furniture and making coaches is that furniture is not usually subject to constant movement and vibration, so does not need to be shock resistant.  The constant movement of vehicles, whether horse drawn, steam powered or driven by the internal (some say infernal!) combustion engine means the wooden structure is subject to constant vibration stresses and strains.  Ash was also used for the structural components of railway carriages for the same reason.  

Black Heart ash
This is why, although ash wardrobes are not as popular as oak this is due to history and tradition or awareness, rather than any shortcomings in the quality of the material itself.  The light coloured grain has an attractive appearance in its own right but there is also a premium variation of ash timber that is caused by a defect during growth that causes black staining of the fibres.  This ‘black heart’ ash is rare and comparatively valuable, being used by bespoke and artistic cabinet makers and joiners for rare, individual pieces - not usually ash wardrobes!

Ash – a friend for survival
Another interesting feature of ash timber that seems to be particularly relevant to today’s television programmes on survival is that ash is one of the very few timbers that does not need to be dried to be able to burn it.  In other words, ash trees can be cut, logged and burned straight away.  Surely a huge advantage to all the explorers and would-be explorers that are filling the satellite television channels these days.

Did you know? An interesting fact about wardrobes
The French word for wardrobe is Armoire, but whereas the British wardrobe evolved from a room for hanging clothes, the French Armoire developed from an upright cupboard used for storing a variety of items.  It is derived from the Latin Armarium, a cupboard of Roman origin used for storing weapons and armour.

We hope our Ash Wardrobes page has been useful in your online search.