What size are antique iron beds?

Sizes are quoted in modern UK terms. King leads the titles, then double, then single, with super king a smaller group and three quarter widths appearing between single and double. Some listings give the width in feet instead: 5ft for a king, 6ft for a super king, 2ft6 for a small single.

Does the bed come with a mattress or base?

No. These are sold as bedsteads: head end, foot end and side irons. The sleeping surface is left to the buyer. Titles that spell out head and foot with side irons are describing that same three-part frame.

Are they iron or brass?

Both, and often at once. Half the titles say brass, usually meaning brass tube, knobs and finials dressed onto an iron frame. All-iron and hand-forged beds make up a good part of the rest, with all-brass bedsteads a smaller group.

How old are antique iron beds usually?

The dated listings run from 1850 to 1930. The 1900s account for the largest number of clean years, followed by the 1890s and 1880s. Roughly a third of the period information is a label rather than a date: Victorian, Edwardian or 19th century. A fair number of titles carry no date at all.

Why are pairs of single beds sold together?

Two singles of the same design can butt together to make one wide bed, often two 3ft frames making a 6ft super king. Sixty-nine titles say pair. They can also be used apart as a matching pair of singles, which is why the phrase can be joined recurs.

Where were these beds made?

English brass-and-iron bedsteads dominate, described in listings as the classic Victorian type. French origins are named in ninety titles and Irish in sixty-six. Portuguese appears in twenty-four, with Spanish, Italian, Austrian and American style examples turning up once or twice each.