Wardown Park

Coordinates: 51°53′37″N 00°25′08″W / 51.89361°N 0.41889°W / 51.89361; -0.41889
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Wardown Park
River Lea flows through the park
Map
LocationLuton, Bedfordshire, England
Coordinates51°53′37″N 00°25′08″W / 51.89361°N 0.41889°W / 51.89361; -0.41889
Created1904
Operated byLuton Borough Council
StatusOpen all year

Wardown Park is situated on the

River Lea in Luton. The park has various sporting facilities, is home to the Wardown Park Museum 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.[1]

History

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 How. Richard's 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. Frank Chapman's last surviving son (Jasper Chapman Scargill) died in Ireland 22 October 2012 at the age of 97 (93 years after the death of his father).

By 1903 the then owners (The Stewart Family, whose famous son,

London Brick Company) decided to sell the house and 11-acre (45,000 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.

Features

Luton Museum

Main article:
Luton Museum

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

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

Lake

At the centre of the park is a lake, formed by widening the River Lea during the development of the park in the Victorian era. The lake contains a small island which is not accessible to the public, and is home to various waterfowl, such as

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.

During

D-Day. So with permission, it drove them through the lake instead of building a specific test tank.[2][3]

After WW2, the lake was extended to form an open-air swimming pool, which was in use until the 1950s. Boating on the lake was then introduced, and until the boat-man retired in 2004 you could hire a row-boat in the summer.

Daisy Chain wall

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.

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 damaged 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.

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.

Cricket ground

Wardown Park
Ground information
LocationLuton, Bedfordshire
Coordinates51°53′45″N 0°25′04″W / 51.8959°N 0.4177°W / 51.8959; -0.4177
Establishment1906 (first recorded match)
End names
Stockingstone End
Pavilion End
Team information
Bedfordshire (1906–present)
Northamptonshire (1973–2004)
As of 25 July 2010
Source: Ground profile

History

MCCA Knockout Trophy matches,[5][11] and was due to host four National Counties T20 matches, however these were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

The ground is entered from the main park and is encircled by trees. The current

Second World War by Civil Defence personnel.[13] A raised viewing area runs along the eastern side of the ground and along the western side is a digital scoreboard. The ground could accommodate crowds of 4,000–5,000 and once accommodated a crowd of 6,000 for a benefit match for Tom Clark in 1961.[4] The cricket ground has also played host to field hockey matches, with the Bedfordshire Eagles playing there.[4] The lower cricket ground has never held county cricket
matches and is the homeground of Luton Luctonian Cricket Club.

Records

First-class

List A

  • Highest team total: 298 for 2 by Northamptonshire v Warwickshire, 1983[19]
  • Lowest team total: 81 all out by Northamptonshire v Lancashire, 1989[20]
  • Highest individual innings: 172 not out by Wayne Larkins for Northamptonshire v Warwickshire, 1983[21]
  • Best bowling in an innings: 5-14 by
    Minor Counties, 1998[22]

Twenty20

Gallery

  • large old trees in Wardown Park, Luton
    large old trees in Wardown Park, Luton
  • Wardown Park, Luton flower beds outside the museum
    Wardown Park, Luton flower beds outside the museum
  • Summer house in Luton
    Summer house in Luton
  • Trees in Wardown Park, Luton
    Trees in Wardown Park, Luton
  • Trees in Wardown Park, Luton
    Trees in Wardown Park, Luton

References

  1. ^ Luton Council website Archived 9 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Vauxhall's history in Luton". BBC News. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Tank Testing on the lake during WWII". Lutonmodelboat.co.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  4. ^
    ISBN 009173830X
    .
  5. ^ a b "Minor Counties Championship Matches played on Wardown Park". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e "List A Matches played on Wardown Park". Cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  7. ^ a b "First-Class Matches played on Wardown Park". CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  8. ^ "Northamptonshire v Yorkshire, 1986". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Twenty20 Matches played on Wardown Park". Cricketarchive.com. 5 July 2004. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  10. ^ Booth, Lawrence (6 July 2004). "Hick's 116 breaks new ground". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Minor Counties Trophy Matches played on Wardown Park". Cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Minor Counties Twenty20 Matches played on Wardown Park, Luton". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  13. ISBN 978-0750986755
    .
  14. ^ "Northamptonshire v Glamorgan, 1992". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Lowest Team Totals in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Centuries in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Seven Wickets in an Innings in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Most Wickets in a Match in first-class cricket". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Highest Team Totals in List A matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Lowest Team Totals in List A matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Centuries in List A matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Five Wickets in an Innings in List A matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Highest Team Totals in Twenty20 matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Northamptonshire v Worcestershire, Twenty20 Cup 2004 (Midlands/Wales/West Group)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Wardown Park, Luton - Centuries in Twenty20 matches". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 July 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wardown Park.
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