Luton is on theRiver Lea, about 32 miles (50 km) north-west ofLondon.[9] The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settlement on the river, from which Luton derives its name.[10] Luton is recorded in theDomesday Book asLoitone andLintone.[11] One of the largest churches in Bedfordshire,St Mary's Church, was built in the 12th century.[12] There are local museums which explore Luton's history inWardown Park[13] andStockwood Park.[14]
Luton was once known forhatmaking and became a centre for the British motor industry with the establishment of theVauxhall Motors factory in 1905. Car production at theLuton plant continued until 2002.[15] Thereafter, the site focused oncommercial vehicle manufacturing which in turn came to an end in 2025. The head office ofVauxhall Motors is located in the village ofChalton, on the northern edge of the borough.[16]London Luton Airport opened in 1938 and is now one of Britain's major airports,[17] with threerailway stations also in the town. TheUniversity of Bedfordshire was created from a merger with the University of Luton;[18] two of its campuses are in Luton.[19] Since 1997,Luton Borough Council has been aunitary authority, performing all local government functions in the borough.
Luton is believed to have been founded by theAnglo-Saxons sometime in the 6th century.[26] Its name first appears in the 8th century asLygetun, meaning "town on the River Lea".[27]
TheDomesday Book records Luton asLoitone and asLintone.[11] Agriculture dominated the local economy at that time, and the town's population was around 700 to 800.[28]
St Mary's Church, Luton town centreThe Wenlock chapel within St Mary's
Thehat making industry began in the 17th century and became synonymous with the town.[31][32]
A row of largely Grade II listed buildings in George Street West, Luton
The town grew: in 1801 the population was 3,095,[33] but by 1850 it was over 10,000 and by 1901 it was almost 39,000.
Newspaper printing arrived in the town in 1854. The first public cemetery was opened in the same year and Luton was made aborough in 1876.[34]
Luton'shat trade reached its peak in the 1930s,[35] but severely declined after the Second World War and was replaced by other industries.
In 1907,Vauxhall Motors opened the largest car plant in the United Kingdom in Luton, during theSecond World War, it builtChurchill tanks[36] as part of thewar effort. Despite heavy camouflage, the factory made Luton a target for theLuftwaffe and the town suffered a number ofair raids. 107 died[37] and there was extensive damage to the town (over 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed).
The original town hall was destroyed in 1919 during Peace Day celebrations at the end of theFirst World War. Dr. John G. Dony, author ofThe Flora of Bedfordshire,[38] told his history students (he taught at Luton Grammar, predecessor ofLuton Sixth Form College) in the 1950s that he had broken the last intact window of the old town hall during the 1919 riots. Local people, including many ex-servicemen, were unhappy with unemployment and had been refused the use of a local park to hold celebratory events. They stormed the town hall, setting it alight (seeLuton Town Hall). A replacement building was completed in 1936.
Luton Borough Corporation had provided the borough with electricity since the early twentieth century fromLuton power station, located adjacent to the railway. Uponnationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership passed to theBritish Electricity Authority and later to theCentral Electricity Generating Board. Electricity connections to thenational grid rendered the 23megawatt (MW) coal and latterly oil-fired power station redundant. The station had a single chimney and two reinforced concrete cooling towers.[39] The power station closed in 1968; in its final year of operation it delivered 3,192MWh of electricity to the borough.[40]
Luton Airport opened in 1938, owned and operated by the council. It is now one of the largest employers in the area.
The pre-war years, were something of an economic boom for Luton, as new industries grew and prospered. New private andcouncil housing was built in the 1920s and 1930s, with Luton starting to incorporate nearby villagesLeagrave,Limbury andStopsley between 1928 and 1933.[41]
Post-war, a number of substantial estates ofcouncil housing were built, notably atFarley Hill,Stopsley,Limbury,Marsh Farm andLeagrave (Hockwell Ring). TheMarsh Farm area of the town was developed in the mid to late 1960s as a large council housing estate, mostly to house the overspill population fromLondon. However, the estate gained a reputation for high levels of crime, poverty and unemployment, which culminated in a riot on the estate in July 1992 and another more serious riot three years later.[42]
The partial closure of theVauxhall manufacturing plant in 2002 had negative effects for Luton, leading to increased unemployment and deprivation.[43] In 2024,Stellantis (owner of the Vauxhall marque) announced plans to close its operation in Luton.[44]
Luton was anancient parish in theFlitt hundred. The parish was the largest in Bedfordshire by area, and was subdivided into fivehamlets ortownships:Hyde,Leagrave,Limbury,Stopsley, and a Luton township covering the central part of the parish including the town itself.[47][48] The Luton township was made alocal board district in 1850. The local board was the town's first elected local authority; previously it had been administered by the parishvestry.[49]
The town was incorporated as amunicipal borough in 1876.[50] Later in 1876 the new borough council was granted acoat of arms.[2] Thewheatsheaf was used on the crest to represent agriculture and the supply of straw used in the localhatmaking industry (thestraw plaiting industry was brought to Luton by a group of Scots under the protection of SirJohn Napier ofLuton Hoo). The bee is traditionally the emblem of industry and the hive represents the straw plaiting industry for which Luton was famous. The rose is from the arms of the Napier family, whereas thethistle is a symbol forScotland. An alternative suggestion is that the rose was a national emblem, and the thistle represents theMarquess of Bute, who formerly owned the Manor of Luton Hoo.[51][52]
TheLocal Government Act 1894 directed that parishes could no longer straddle borough boundaries, and so the ancient parish was split into a Luton parish covering the same area as the borough and a Luton Rural parish covering the area outside the borough.[53] Luton Rural was abolished in 1896 and its area divided into the four parishes of Hyde, Leagrave, Limbury and Stopsley. In 1928 the Leagrave and Limbury parishes were both abolished and their areas absorbed into the borough of Luton;[54] Stopsley was similarly absorbed in 1933.[55] Hyde remains a separate parish, now forming part ofCentral Bedfordshire.[45]
Luton was made acounty borough in 1964, making it independent fromBedfordshire County Council.[56] It was redesignated as anon-metropolitan district in 1974, making it once more subordinate to the county council. In 1997 the borough council was made a unitary authority, regaining its independence from the county council (which was subsequently abolished in 2009).
Luton is located in a break in the eastern part of theChiltern Hills. The Chilterns are a mixture ofchalk from theCretaceous period[60] (about 66 – 145 million years ago) and deposits laid at the southernmost points of theice sheet during thelast ice age (theWarden Hill area can be seen from much of the town).
Bedfordshire had a reputation for brick making but the industry is now significantly reduced. Thebrickworks[61] atStopsley took advantage of the clay deposits in the east of the town.
There are few routes through the hilly area for some miles, this has led to several major roads (including theM1 and theA6) and a major rail-link being constructed through the town.
Luton has atemperatemarine climate, like much of theBritish Isles, with generally lightprecipitation throughout the year. The weather is very changeable from day to day and the warming influence of theGulf Stream makes the region mild for itslatitude. The average total annual rainfall is 698 mm (27.5 in) with rain falling on 117 days of the year.
The local climate around Luton is differentiated somewhat from much of South East England due to its position in theChiltern Hills, meaning it tends to be 1–2 degrees Celsius cooler than the surrounding towns – often flights atLuton airport, lying 160 m (525 ft) above sea level, will be suspended when marginal snow events occur, while airports at lower elevations, such asHeathrow, at 25 m (82 ft) above sea level, continue to function. Absolute temperature extremes recorded at Rothamsted Research Station, 5 miles (8 km) south south east of Luton town centre and at a similar elevation range from −17.0 °C (1.4 °F)[62] in December 1981 and −16.7 °C (1.9 °F) in January 1963[63] to 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) in July 2019[64] and 33.8 °C (92.8 °F) in August 1990[65] and July 2006.[66] Records for Rothamsted date back to 1901.
The2021 United Kingdom census showed that the borough had a population of 225,262,[6] a 10.9% increase from the previous census in 2011 and a 22.2% increase compared with 2001. In 2021, 52,566 residents (23% of the total) were aged under 16, 146,330 (65%) were aged 16 to 64, and 26,363 (12%) were aged 65 or over.[6]
Luton: Ethnicity: 2011 Census[69] and 2021 Census[6]
Ethnic group
2011 Population
2011 %
2021 Population
2021 %
White
111,079
54.7
101,798
45.2
Mixed
8,281
4.1
9,620
4.3
Asian or Asian British
60,952
30.0
83,325
37.0
Black or Black British
19,909
9.8
22,735
10.1
Other Ethnic Group
2,980
1.5
7,783
3.5
Total
203,201
100
225,261
100
Luton has seen several waves of immigration. In the early part of the 20th century, migrants fromIreland andScotland came to the town. These were followed bySouth Asian andAfro-Caribbean immigrants. More recently immigrants fromEuropean countries such asAlbania have made Luton their home. As a result of this Luton has a diverse ethnic mix, with a significant population of Asian descent, mainlyPakistani (41,143 residents, 18.3%) andBangladeshi (20,630, 9.2%).[70] People in Asian ethnic groups accounted for 86% of Luton'sMuslim population in 2021.[71]
As of the 2021 census, the White British (White English, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish) population of Luton comprised less than a third of the total (31.8%), the twelfth lowest proportion out of 318 local authorities in England and Wales and the second lowest (afterSlough) outside of London.[70] Overall, 45.2% of Luton's population in 2021 was White (including non-British White people),[70] down from 54.7% in 2011.
In 2011 81% of the population of Luton defined themselves as British.[72]
Luton's economy has traditionally been focused on several different areas of industry, includingcar manufacturing, engineering andmillinery. However, today, Luton is moving towards a service based economy mainly in the retail and the airport sectors, although there is still a focus on light industry in the town.
Of the town's working population (classified 16–74 years of age by theOffice for National Statistics), 63% are employed. This figure includes students, the self-employed and those who are in part-time employment. 11% are retired, 8% look after the family or take care of the home and 5% are unemployed.[86]
Luton is less than 30 miles (50 km) north of the centre of London, giving it good links with theCity and other parts of the country via rail and major roads such as theM1 (which serves the town from junctions 10 and 11) and theA6.
Luton is also home toLondon Luton Airport, one of the major feeder airports for London and the south-east. A light metropeople mover track,Luton DART, opened in 2023, linking the airport and Luton Airport Parkway railway station.[90]
Luton is also served by a largetaxi network. As aunitary authority,Luton Borough Council is responsible for the local highways and public transport in the borough and licensing of taxis.[93]
Luton's schools and colleges had also been earmarked for major investment in the government schemeBuilding Schools for the Future programme, which intends to renew and refit buildings in institutes across the country. Luton is in the third wave of this long-term programme with work intending to start in 2009.[96] Some schools were rebuilt before the programme was scrapped by the coalition government.
Luton International Carnival is the largest one-daycarnival in Europe. It usually takes place on the late May Bank Holiday. Crowds can reach 150,000[98] on each occasion.
The procession starts atWardown Park and makes its way down New Bedford Road, around the town centre via St George's Square, back down New Bedford Road and finishes back at Wardown Park. There are music stages and stalls around the town centre and at Wardown Park.
Luton is home to the UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA),[99] the country's first purpose-built facility of its kind.[100]
The festival celebrating the patron saint of IrelandSt Patrick and organised by Luton Irish Forum,[22] is held on the weekend nearest to17 March.[101] In its 20th year in 2019,[102] the festival includes a parade, market stalls and music stands as well as Irish themed events.[103]
The Luton Sons of William Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1002 was established in the 1960's.[104] It is a part of theOrange Order and is governed by the Grand Orange Lodge of England.[105][106] They are aProtestantfraternity that hold regular meetings and participate inOrange walks.[107] The name "Sons of William" refers toWilliam III, victor of theBattle of the Boyne.[108] The Luton & Bedford Drumming Club is a part of the community.[109] They promoteUlster Scots culture and heritage within the area. The club play traditionallambeg and Ulster ropedrums and march inparades. Formed in 2005, the inaugural parade was in September of that year.[110]
The first LutonMelā took place in August 2000 and has developed into one of the most significant and well attendedSouth Asian cultural events in the eastern region.
As a part of Luton Borough Council's 2017-2027 arts and culture development programme, a series of events titledPeople Power Passion were held in 2019 as a pilot for their 2025City of Culture bid. This included a centennial commemoration of theLuton Peace Day Riots.[111]
The bid was dropped in early 2020 as a result of low attendance, and the budget was redirected towards other art projects.[112]
Luton is home to the Library Theatre, a 238-seat theatre located on the 3rd floor of the town's Central Library. The theatre's programme consists of local amateur dramatic societies, pantomime, children's theatre (on Saturday mornings) and one night shows of touring theatre companies.[113]
Luton is also home to the Hat Factory, originally as its name suggests, this arts centre was in fact a real hat factory. The Hat Factory is a combined arts venue in the centre of Luton. It opened in 2003 and since then has been the area's main provider of contemporary theatre, dance and music. The venue provides live music, club nights, theatre, dance, films, children's activities, workshops, classes and gallery exhibitions.
Diverse FM[116] began broadcasts in April 2007 having been awarded acommunity radio licence fromOfcom.
Radio LaB (formerly Luton FM), the university's radio station, began broadcasting full-time in 2010 having been awarded acommunity radio licence fromOfcom.
Luton is served by London and East Anglia regional variations of theBBC andITV. Television signals are received from eitherCrystal Palace orSandy Heath TV transmitters. However, the local relay transmitter for Luton only broadcast programmes fromNorwich.[117]
In the 1880s, the land now known as Brantwood Park was an open field on the south side ofDallow. The site was purchased by the Town Council in 1894 for use as a recreation ground and there is reference to it as 'West Ward Recreation Ground' in a 1911-year book. It is reported as being one of the first two recreation grounds in Luton; the other being East Ward Recreation Ground, now known as Manor Park.[118]
Kidney Wood is ancient semi-naturalwoodland on the southern edge of Luton that has been identified as a County Wildlife Site. The wood was purchased byLuton Borough Council as an area of public open space. The council seeks to maintain and enhance the nature conservation interest of Kidney Wood, including its habitats while allowing public access for informal recreation including play. Kidney Wood includes a way marked nature trail and play dells.
Sir Julius Wernher purchased theLuton Hoo Estate and the Manor of Luton from Madame de Falbe around 1903. He carried out substantial renovation works to the Manor and grounds. On his death in 1912 the estate passed to Lady Ludlow. Lady Ludlow presented the Park to the people of Luton on 12 June 1920, in memory of her son Alex Piggott Werner, who was killed in action during the First World War. The site is officially named Luton Hoo Memorial Park. Council records state that the area was purchased under the Statutory Powers of the Public Health Acts.
Stockwood Park is a large municipal park near Junction 10 of theM1. Located in the park isStockwood Discovery Centre, a free museum that houses Luton local social history, archaeology and geology. The collection of rural crafts and trades held at Stockwood Discovery Centre was amassed by Thomas Wyatt Bagshawe, who was a notable local historian and a leading authority on folk life. The park has an athletics track, an 18-hole golf course, several rugby and football pitches and areas of open space. Stockwood park is also home to stockwood park RFC, a local amateur rugby team. The park was originally the estate and grounds to Stockwood house, which was demolished in 1964. The museum includes theMossman Collection of horse-drawn vehicles, which is the largest and most significant vehicle collection of its kind in the country, including originals from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Wardown Park is situated on theRiver Lea in Luton. The park has sporting facilities, is home to theWardown Park Museum and contains formal gardens. The park is located betweenOld Bedford Road and theA6,New Bedford Road and is within walking distance of the town centre.[119] The park houses Wardown House Museum and Gallery, previously known as Luton Museum and Art Gallery, in a large Victorian mansion. The museum collection focuses on the traditional crafts and industry of Luton and Bedfordshire, notablylace making andhatmaking. There are samples of local lace from as early as the 17th century.
The Mall Luton, the main shopping destination in Luton's town centre.
The main shopping area in Luton is centred onthe Mall Luton. Built in the 1960s/1970s and opened as anArndale Centre,[120] construction of the shopping centre led to the demolition of a number of the older buildings in the town centre, including the Plait Halls (a Victorian covered market building with an iron and glass roof). Shops and businesses in the remaining streets, particularly in the roads around Cheapside and in High Town, have been in decline ever since. George Street, on the south side of the Arndale, was pedestrianised in the 1990s.
The shopping centre had some construction and re-design work done to it over the 2011/12 period, with a new square built to be used for leisure events, as well as a number of new food restaurants. Contained within the main shopping centre is the market, which contains butchers, fishmongers, fruit and veg, hairdressers, tattoo parlours, ice cream, a flower stall, T-shirt printing and the market's original sewing shop for clothes alterations and repairs as well as eating places.[121]
Another major shopping area isBury Park where there are shops catering to Luton's ethnic minorities.
Luton has a wide range of sports clubs. It is the home town ofLuton Town Football Club which in May 2023 achieved promotion to the EnglishPremier League for the first time in their history[122] which also includes several spells in the top flight of the English league as well as aLeague Cup triumph in1988. They play atKenilworth Road, their home since 1905, with a new larger capacity stadium known asPower Court under construction.[20] Their nickname, 'The Hatters', dates back to when Luton had a substantialmillinery industry, and their logo is based on the town's coat of arms.
^Like most long-held UK events on this date, before 1972, it was held during the Christian moving feast and discretionary holiday ofWhitsuntide (Pentecost) exactly seven weeks after Easter, in this case usually on the Monday
^Luton: Straw Hat Boom Town(PDF). Luton Cultural Services Trust. 2011. p. 9. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 15 October 2013. Retrieved25 April 2019.The aspiration contained in its motto: Scientiae et labori detur (May it be given to skill and industry)
^"The Hat Industry of Luton and its Buildings".English Heritage.Long before it became associated with motor cars, Luton was well established as an international centre of hat making. More specifically, Luton was the main centre of ladies' hat production in the UK for over 200 years ... This success was founded on the earlier regional industry of straw plaiting, an occupation that was well established by the late 17th century
^Bryan, Dominic; Connolly, S. J.; Nagle, John (28 June 2019),"Violence and carnival",Civic identity and public space, Manchester University Press,ISBN978-1-5261-3831-6, retrieved2 October 2025
^"The English Rose Public House Luton". Bedford Borough Council. 21 June 2019.During the 1950s a regular visitor was actress Diana Dors, whose first husband Dennis Hamilton was the son of landlord Stanley Gittins. She is said to have served behind the bar in the pub on a number of occasions.
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