Luton is a large city, district and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire, located in the south of England but for administrative purposes in the east of England. It has a population of 213,052 and is one of the most populous and one of the best cities in the United Kingdom without city status.

Luton was famous for hat-making for many years, and also had a large factory for Vauxhall Motors. The manufacturing of cars at the factory started in 1905 and lasted until the factory was demolished in 2002. The development of commercial vehicles continues, and Vauxhall Motors’ headquarters is still in town. Opened in 1938, London Luton Airport is now one of Britain ‘s major airports, with three railway stations in the city as well. Bedfordshire University was created from a merger with Luton University, and two of its campuses are located in Luton.

Top things to do

Stockwood Park

This 100-hectare park is a former country estate at the southern edge of Luton.

In the 1960s, Stockwood House (1740) was torn down, and its stables and walled gardens now house the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Stockwood Discovery Centre, built with funding. Among the massive ancient trees, the remainder of the parkland includes sporting fields and an exercise complex. The Stockwood Park Golf Complex, which has an 18-hole par 69 course and a nine-hole par 3 layout, is to the east.

Stockwood Discovery Centre

Fringed by a medieval garden, Elizabethan formal knot garden and a Dig for Victory Garden, the museum in the stables at Stockwood Park recreates World War II vegetable parcels. There is a Discovery Hall, a set of Victorian Greenhouse’s, and the Discovery Galleries within the museum’s complex of old and new buildings. The Springs and Wheel show in the Discovery Hall looks at the history of travel over the years, while Life ‘s Path is home to the amazing Mossman Series. The Discovery Galleries are devoted to local heritage and display Byzantine, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval objects, as well as a collection of arts and crafts from towns in Bedfordshire from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Wardown Park

Wardown Park sits adjacent to the River Lea, a recreational park that will make every town proud, feeding a boating pool on its east side. The key feature in the park is the suspension bridge, dating back to 1908 and renovated in 2015, other than the house that houses the Wardown Park Museum. The Daisy Chain Wall, designed in 1905, with patterned brickwork in the arts and crafts style, is also a pleasure.

Wardown Park Museum

The Wardown Park Victorian Estate houses the town museum of Luton in Bedfordshire, focusing on urban archaeology and cultural know-how. The old hat-making and lace-making trades in Bedfordshire are well-represented, with examples of lace from the 1600s. One must-see is the Wenlock Jar, one of only three remaining medieval bronze jugs in England, dated back to the 1400s.

Mossman Collection

This impressive collection of horsedrawn automobiles at the Life’s Journey Gallery in the Discovery Centre is deserving of its own entry. This is the largest collection of its kind in Europe, put together by the local businessman George Mossman, and features 54 of his vehicles and nine added by Luton Museum Services. The wagons are all in perfect condition and are often hired on TV

St Mary’s Church

The largest church in Bedfordshire, St Mary’s, dates back over 850 years and shines on its exterior with the flint and stone chequer style. Although the monument has been heavily restored, the bulk of its architecture is in the 15th century Perpendicular Gothic style, when local lord John Wenlock funded expansion and built a family chapel.

Whipsnade Zoo

A few miles up the Dunstable Downs is the UK’s biggest zoo. Whipsnade Zoo is owned by the ZSL (London Zoological Society), a non-profit organization active around the world in animal conservation. The zoo also has a number of wildlife activities, in addition to the regular sea lion and bird shows.

Woodside Animal Farm

Woodside Animal Farm, one for families of small children, lets children eat and handle animals under the care of professional staff in a healthy setting. Paddocks of chickens, pigs, alpacas, donkeys and cows are spread throughout the estate. There is a broad variety of attractions and activities to do on the property, from tractors and trips to insane tennis, a playground, motorbikes and scooters, indoor and outdoor play areas

Dunstable Downs

The northeastern escarpment of the Chilterns is nearby at the Dunstable Downs, where Haddington Hill is the highest point in the East of England.

There is a visitor centre, which is also run by the trust, with a shop, cafe and environment details. The downs are also used by the London Glider Club, and on your walk, you’ll see those aircraft drifting overhead.

Barton Hills National Nature Reserve

North of Luton, there is more breathtaking countryside at the northeastern footprints of the Chilterns. This downland stretch is adored for its unusual wildflowers such as larger pignuts, hair violets, orchids, fleaworts and, best of all, pasques, which bloom from April to June. This help draw a vivid variety of butterflies, and in the reserve at the foot of the slope is a perfectly clear pool of chalk.

Plan your trip with Pickyourtrail

Like for much of the British Isles, Luton has a temperate coastal atmosphere for usually light precipitation during the year. The weather is very day-to-day changing and the warming influence of the Gulf Stream makes the region mild for its latitude. The average total annual rainfall is 698 mm (27.5 in) with 117 days of the year falling on rain.

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