it doesn't bend, compress or flex and transfers any load pressures directly from the felloes to the nave. The Ash is used for its flexibility and springy nature, this acts as a form of suspension and protects against shock damage. The future In the second half of the 20th century, wheelwright training faded away due to a lack of demand for new wooden wheels. The skills were kept alive by small businesses, museums, societies and trusts such as The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (USA) and The Countryside Agency (UK). The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights in London (UK) maintains a flourishing (government-backed) apprenticeship scheme that began in 2013. Colonial Williamsburg (USA) has an ongoing apprenticeship program and has recently (2016) taken on new apprentices. See also Artillery wheel Wheelbuilding Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights References Further reading External links "An Old Craftman Preserves." Popular Mechanics, October 1947, p. 144-145. Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights Phill Gregson, Wheelwright Worldwide Wheelwright study Wheels Industrial occupations Obsolete occupations Artisans