Wardown Park

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Wardown Park is situated on the River Lea in Luton and is an oasis of calm within walking distance of the town centre offering everything from sporting facilities to museum, gallery and formal gardens. The park is situated between Old Bedford Road and the A6, New Bedford Road.

At the centre of the park is a lake, which is formed from the River Lea. The lake contains small island which is not accessable to the public, and is home to various waterfoul, swans, ducks and geese.

The park is home to the Luton Museum.

[edit] Restoration

The restoration of Wardown Park was completed in June 2005, thanks to £1 million lottery funding and a lot of hard work from local people. The council and the Friends of Wardown Park, have replaced the refreshment kiosk with a building mirroring the design of the boathouse. Across the lake from the kiosk is the original boathouse which underwent restoration with the rest of the buildings of the park. At the same time the Edwardian Daisy Chain wall and drinking fountain were restored using the original designs and old photographs. The drinking fountain is an exact replica of the original based on a photograph from 1907 on display in the museum, however it is a non-working replica.

[edit] The Daisy Chain wall

The Daisy Chain wall is one of the park’s most significant design features, named because of the attractive brick pattern that features along the length of the wall.

Built around 1905, the wall was part of the original gardens of Wardown House before it was made into a public park. It separates the main park from the pleasure garden, formerly an ornamental garden containing trees such as giant redwoods and an avenue of limes.

The wall forms part of the Daisy Chain Walk: a pathway connecting the main parkland with the bowling green, bowling pavilion and the east side of the tennis courts.

The condition of the Daisy Chain Wall deteriorated over the years until many of its features were destroyed. But a hundred years later it has been brought back to life as part of the restored gardens at Wardown Park.

[edit] History of the park

The area that became Wardown park was a farmhouse and country residence in the 1800's. The park itself started out as a private estate ownned by Richard How. Richards son, Robert built the first property within the park, Bramingham Shott, which now houses the museum.

In the early 1870's the estate was taken over by local solicitor, Frank Chapman-Scargill, he rebuilt much of the earlier house in 1879 for a total cost of £10,000. Scargill left Luton and the house and property was let to J Forder who renamed the park Wardown.

By 1903 the current owners, (The Stewart Family, who's famous son, Sir Malcolm Stewart founded the London Brick Company) wanted to sell the house and park, and it was on the market for £17,000. However they couldn’t sell Wardown House and the 11 acres of parkland and so in 1904 councillors Asher Hucklesby and Edwin Oakley purchased the property for £16,250, and then donated the property to the people of Luton. Hucklesby went on to be Mayor of Luton.

Over the next few years trees were planted, footpaths and bridges constructed, and much of they layout of the park we see today was set down. A bowling green was built in 1905, reputed to be the first in Luton.

It was Hucklesby’s dream that the house would become a museum that would be 'interesting as well as of an educational nature'.

However, the house had been neglected and was riddled with dry rot and the council could not immediately afford the renovations. It was left empty until it became a military hospital during the Great War. Later, rooms were rented to council employees with a public tea room on the groundfloor. The museum finally opened in 1930 (having moved from the Carnegie library where it started in 1927). At first it was located in just two rooms, but over the years has spread throughout the entire house.

The lake in the centre of the park was extended to form an open air swimming pool, this was in use until the the 1950's. Boating on the lake was introduced until recently one could still hire a boat. Unfortunately the boat-man retired in 2004 and since then there have been no boats on the lake.

The museum is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 5pm and Sundays from 1 to 5pm. Admission is free.

Luton • Bedfordshire • England
Places within Luton Barnfield | Biscot | Bramingham | Bury Park | Bushmead | Challney | Crawley Green | Farley Hill | Dallow | High Town | Hockwell Ring | Leagrave | Lewsey | Limbury-cum-Biscot | Marsh Farm | New Town | Putteridge | Round Green | Stopsley | Sundon Park | Warden Hills | Wigmore
Ammenities Kenilworth Road | Luton Museum | Stockwood Park | Wardown Park | Waulud's Bank
Education Barnfield College | Denbigh High School | University of Bedfordshire | Luton Sixth Form College | South Luton High School