Here is a recommended list of third party plug-ins. They are listed here because they add real value to your site and have been tested with the Ashford theme.
Plugins are cool, but adding them comes with a cost to page performance especially those that allow you to “retween” or share this on Twitter, Facebook or whatever. Choose well supported plugins that have a history of compatibility with WordPress upgrades. If a plugin is critical to your site, but does not work in a future version of WordPress, then your site can no longer grow and evolve.
Plugins for search engine optimization
All in One SEO Pack – adds robust search engine optimization (SEO) tools for your web site. If you use this plugin, Ashford disaables its SEO code (which is excellent compared to other themes).
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/
Google Site Map Generator — adds a XML sitemap which will help search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com to better index your blog.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
Plugins for building custom sites
WP-PageNavi – adds advanced paging navigation to your site
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-pagenavi/
Flexi-pages – adds a highly configurable WordPress sidebar widget to list pages and sub-pages. Great for building custom submenus.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/flexi-pages-widget/
Query Posts – adds a widget that can display content by category, tag, custom taxonomies, author, date, time and name.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/query-posts/
Widget Logic — adds an extra control field called “Widget logic” to each widget that lets you control the pages that the widget will appear.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/widget-logic/
My Snippets — add a widget to your sidebar but control the content of the snippet from the post editor.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-snippets/
Exclude pages — add pages but exclude them from your drop down menus.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-pages/
Contact Form 7 — add contact forms to any page.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/
Plugins for running sites
WP Super Cache — adds a very fast caching engine for WordPress that produces static html files. A must for high traffic production sites.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-super-cache/
Maintenance Mode – adds a splash page to your blog that lets visitors know your blog is down for maintenance.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/maintenance-mode/
Plugins for advanced Wordpress Developers
Widget Block — adds ability to create text widgets that only display on specified pages (allows PHP). This adds a feature not unlike Drupal’s Blocks.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/widget-block/
Pods CMS — For creating sites that need advanced customized content. This adds a feature not unlike Drupal’s CCK Module.
http://pods.uproot.us/