Wardown Park
Encyclopedia
Wardown Park is situated on the River Lea
in Luton
. The park has various sporting facilities, is home to the Luton Museum & Art Gallery
and contains formal gardens. The park is located between Old Bedford Road and the A6, New Bedford Road and is within walking distance of the town centre.
At the centre of the park is a lake, which was formed by widening the River Lea. The lake contains a small island which is not accessible to the public, and is home to various waterfoul, such as swan
s, ducks and geese. At the end of the lake closest to the town centre is a large fountain. Adjacent to the lake is the recently (2005–06) refurbished children's play park.
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.
Believed to have been built around 1905, the wall was part of the original gardens of Wardown House before it was made into a public park. The condition of the Daisy Chain Wall had deteriorated over the years until many of its features were damanged and destroyed, however with extensive re-construction the wall now appears as it did one hundred years ago. The wall separates the main park from the pleasure garden, which was formerly an ornamental garden containing trees such as giant redwoods and an avenue of limes.
The wall runs alongside part of the Daisy Chain Walk, a path connecting the main park with the bowling green
, bowling pavilion and the east side of the tennis courts.
. Richards son, Robert built the first property within the park, called Bramingham Shott, which still stands and now houses the museum.
In the early 1870s 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 estate Wardown.
By 1903 the then owners (The Stewart Family, whose famous son, Sir Malcolm Stewart, founded the London Brick Company
) decided to sell the house and 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) park, and placed the property up for sale with an asking price of £17,000. The property was not sold, and in 1904 local councillors Asher Hucklesby
and Edwin Oakley purchased the property for £16,250 on behalf of Luton council. Hucklesby went on to become Mayor of Luton.
Over the next few years extensive improvements were implemented, many new trees were planted, as well as new footpaths and bridges being constructed. The layout of the park today is very much as it was in this period. 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'.
Unfortunately, the house itself had been neglected and suffered from dry rot
, Luton council could not immediately afford the renovations. It remained empty for several years until it became a military hospital
during the First World War. After the war, rooms were let to council employees with a cafe opening on the ground floor.
The museum opened in 1930, having moved from the Carnegie library
where it started in 1927. At first the museum displays were held in just two rooms, but over the years it has filled the entire house.
The lake in the centre of the park is man made, by widening the River Lea as it flows through the park. The Lake was extended to form an open air swimming pool, which was in use until the 1950s. During the Second World War the lake was used by Bedford Vehicles
, a division of Vauxhall Motors
to test various tank and other vehicle waterproofing systems. Boating on the lake was introduced, and 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.
played Buckinghamshire
, in the grounds first Minor Counties Championship match. From 1906 to present, the ground has hosted 122 Minor Counties Championship matches and 4 MCCA Knockout Trophy
matches.
The ground has also hosted first-class
matches for Northamptonshire
, the first of which came in 1986. From 1986 to 1997, Northamptonshire played 11 first-class matches at the ground.
The cricket ground has played host List-A matches, he first of which came in the 1967 Gillette Cup
between Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. From 1967 to 2005, the ground hosted 38 List-A matches spread between Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and a combined Minor Counties cricket team. The ground has also played to a single Twenty20
match between Northamptonshire and Worcestershire
in 2004 Twenty20 Cup
.
In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home of Luton Town and Indians Cricket Club.
River Lee (England)
The River Lea in England originates in Marsh Farm , Leagrave, Luton in the Chiltern Hills and flows generally southeast, east, and then south to London where it meets the River Thames , the last section being known as Bow Creek.-Etymology:...
in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
. The park has various sporting facilities, is home to the Luton Museum & Art Gallery
Luton Museum & Art Gallery
Wardown Park Museum, formerly the Luton Museum & Art Gallery in Luton, is housed in a large Victorian mansion in Wardown Park on the outskirts of the town centre. The museum collection focusses on the traditional crafts of Bedfordshire, notably lace-making and hat-making...
and contains formal gardens. The park is located between Old Bedford Road and the A6, New Bedford Road and is within walking distance of the town centre.
At the centre of the park is a lake, which was formed by widening the River Lea. The lake contains a small island which is not accessible to the public, and is home to various waterfoul, such as swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, ducks and geese. At the end of the lake closest to the town centre is a large fountain. Adjacent to the lake is the recently (2005–06) refurbished children's play park.
Restoration
The restoration of Wardown Park was completed in June 2005, using one million pounds of lottery funding, by the local council as well as the work and contributions of local people. The council and the Friends of Wardown Park, have replaced the old refreshment kiosk with a building mirroring the design of the boathouse. Across the lake from the kiosk is the original boathouse which also 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.The Daisy Chain wall
Believed to have been built around 1905, the wall was part of the original gardens of Wardown House before it was made into a public park. The condition of the Daisy Chain Wall had deteriorated over the years until many of its features were damanged and destroyed, however with extensive re-construction the wall now appears as it did one hundred years ago. The wall separates the main park from the pleasure garden, which was formerly an ornamental garden containing trees such as giant redwoods and an avenue of limes.
The wall runs alongside part of the Daisy Chain Walk, a path connecting the main park with the bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
, bowling pavilion and the east side of the tennis courts.
History of the park
The area that became Wardown Park was a farmhouse and country residence in the 1800s. The park itself started out as a private estate owned by Richard HowRichard How
Richard Alfred How was a rugby union player who represented Australia.How, a wing, was born in Armidale, New South Wales and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
. Richards son, Robert built the first property within the park, called Bramingham Shott, which still stands and now houses the museum.
By 1903 the then owners (The Stewart Family, whose famous son, Sir Malcolm Stewart, founded the London Brick Company
The London Brick Company
The London Brick Company is a leading British manufactuer of bricks. It is owned by Hanson plc.- History :The London Brick Company owes its origins to John Cathles Hill, a developer-architect who built houses in both London and Peterborough...
) decided to sell the house and 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) park, and placed the property up for sale with an asking price of £17,000. The property was not sold, and in 1904 local councillors Asher Hucklesby
Asher Hucklesby
Asher Hucklesby was five-times mayor of Luton, Bedfordshire between 1892 and 1906 and a major hat manufacturer in the town.From modest beginnings as the son of a grocer in Stopsley he became the owner of the largest hat business in Luton. Hucklesby began working for hat manufacturer CJ Rosson at...
and Edwin Oakley purchased the property for £16,250 on behalf of Luton council. Hucklesby went on to become Mayor of Luton.
Over the next few years extensive improvements were implemented, many new trees were planted, as well as new footpaths and bridges being constructed. The layout of the park today is very much as it was in this period. 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'.
Unfortunately, the house itself had been neglected and suffered from dry rot
Dry rot
Dry rot refers to a type of wood decay caused by certain types of fungi, also known as True Dry Rot, that digests parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness...
, Luton council could not immediately afford the renovations. It remained empty for several years until it became a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
during the First World War. After the war, rooms were let to council employees with a cafe opening on the ground floor.
The museum opened in 1930, having moved from the Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
where it started in 1927. At first the museum displays were held in just two rooms, but over the years it has filled the entire house.
The lake in the centre of the park is man made, by widening the River Lea as it flows through the park. The Lake was extended to form an open air swimming pool, which was in use until the 1950s. During the Second World War the lake was used by Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
, a division of Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
to test various tank and other vehicle waterproofing systems. Boating on the lake was introduced, and 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.
Cricket ground
The first recorded match played on the cricket ground came in 1906, when BedfordshireBedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
played Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
, in the grounds first Minor Counties Championship match. From 1906 to present, the ground has hosted 122 Minor Counties Championship matches and 4 MCCA Knockout Trophy
MCCA Knockout Trophy
The Minor Counties Cricket Association Knockout Cup was started in 1983 as a knockout one-day competition for the Minor Counties in English cricket...
matches.
The ground has also hosted first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches for Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
, the first of which came in 1986. From 1986 to 1997, Northamptonshire played 11 first-class matches at the ground.
The cricket ground has played host List-A matches, he first of which came in the 1967 Gillette Cup
1967 Gillette Cup
The 1967 Gillette Cup was the fifth Gillette Cup, an English limited overs county cricket tournament. It was held between 23 April and 2 September 1967...
between Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. From 1967 to 2005, the ground hosted 38 List-A matches spread between Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and a combined Minor Counties cricket team. The ground has also played to a single Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
match between Northamptonshire and Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in 2004 Twenty20 Cup
Twenty20 Cup
The Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs.In 2010, it has been replaced by Friends Provident t20 as the domestic Twenty20 competition.-History:...
.
In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home of Luton Town and Indians Cricket Club.
External links
- Wardown Park on CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Wardown Park on CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...